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ST.- JOHN'S UNIVERSITY. 



COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA. 



A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY 



BY 



ALEiiaS H0FF/\ANN, 



O. S. B. 



SUPERIORUM PERMISSU. 



F^EeOF^D PRESS, ©ObbEQEVIbbE, M I N N ESOT/r, 1907. 






Bzcbanir* 

Ooao^ption Oolleer* Library 

SEP 1 7 1940 



PREFACE, 



The following pages pretend to be no more than a sketch, 
in the form of annals, of the history of St. John's. As 
such it is merely a compilation of events that will serve as 
working material for the future historian. Most of the 
information was drawn from the annual catalogues, the 
first of which w^as published in 1870; from the files of 
newspapers, such as Der Wanderer^ of St. Paul, and the 
St. Cloud Daily Times', from the >S'^. John's Universiiy 
JRecord, private diaries and personal recollections. If 
many of the happenings chronicled do not rise to the 
dignity of historical events, the writer's excuse is that he 
has addressed himself primarily to the alumni of the insti- 
tution, to whom the daily doings of college life are as in- 
teresting as the larger facts of history. For this reason too 
the forms of annals was chosen as a dress for the narrative. 

A. H. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Beginnings — The St. Cloud Priory — Transfers — Final 
Location, 1856-67 1 

Prior Cornelius Wittmann 7 

" Benedict Haindl 10 

" Othmar Wirz 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Reconstruction — Schoolyears 1867 -1875. 

1867-68 19 

1868-69 26 

1869-70 29 

1870-71 35 

1871-72 37 

1872-73 39 

1873-74 43 

1874-75 46 

CHAPTER III. 

The Second Abbot and President 1875-89. 

1875-76 50 

1876-77 53 

1877-78 55 

1878-79 57 

1879-80 59 

1880-81 61 

1881-82 64 

1882-83 68 

1883-84 72 

1884-85 74 

1885-86 78 

1886-87 82 

1887-88 85 

1888-89 90 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Administratioa of Abbot Bernard Locnikar 1890-1894. 

1889-90 94 

1890-91 97 

1891-92 100 

1892-93 ' 102 

1893-94 104 

CHAPTER V. 

The Administration of Abbot Peter Engel from 1894 to 

the Present Time. 

1894-95 .108 

1895-96 118 

1896-97 115 

1897-98 117 

1898-99 119 

1899-1900 121 

1900-01 123 

1901-02 126 

1902-03 129 

1903-04 131 

1904-05 133 

1905-06 135 

1906-07 139 

CHAPTER VI. 

College Organizations. 

I. Religions 142 

II. Literary 145 

III. Musical 148 

IV. Athletic 149 

V. Ahimni Association 152 

CHAPTER VII. 
Conclusion 155 



CHAPTER I. 

Beginnings — The St. Cloud Prioby — Transfers — 
Final Location. — 1856 - 67. 

When, about the middle of last century, that part of 
central Minnesota lying west of the Mississippi was thrown 
open for settlement, such a stream of settlers poured in 
that in a short time the face of the primitive wilderness 
was changed. The Indian tribes had been induced to 
move northward and their former hunting-grounds were 
soon transformed into smiling fields ; roads were constructed 
across country; stage routes afforded facilities for travel 
by land and small steamboats passed up and down the 
Mississippi river between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. 

A great number of the immigrants who arrived in 1854 
and '55 were Germans and Catholics, and their spiritual 
care at ouce became an important subject of attention. In 
all the northern part of the Territory of Minnesota there 
was at the time but one priest, the late Rev. F. Pierz, 
(f 1880 at the age of ninety five years) who, in addition to 
ministering to the Indians in the northern and eastern 
parts of the Territory, was commissioned by the bishop of 
St. Paul, Msgr. J. Cretin (f 1857), to visit the German 
settlements in Steams County. It was a laborious task 
for an old man who had already reached the age of three-score 
and ten, for he lived at Crow Wing on the upper Mississip- 
pi and could avail himself of no traveling facilities what- 
ever for his missionary journeys. Like a true apostle, he 
went afoot and sought for the members of his scattered 

flock in the forests and on the prairies, offered them the 

1 



2 St. John's University 

consolation of religion, and from the storehouse of his ex- 
perience gave them valuable guidance for their temporal 
pursuits as well. To him the settlement of Stearns and 
several other counties is chiefly due. In the year 1855 
he held services at St. Cloud, St. Joseph, St. James, Rich- 
mond (Torah) etc. and at the two places first named, he 
organized congregations. The work now exceeded his 
powers and he yearned to return to the Indians to whose 
interests he had consecrated his life. Hence he appealed 
to the bishop of St. Paul to secure German priests for the 
new settlements. 

Ten years earlier, in 1846, Rev. Boniface Wimmer — 
who must be recognized as the actual founder of the insti- 
tution we are about to describe — had come from the 
ancient monastery of Metten in Bavaria to the United 
States and had founded the Benedictine monastery of St. 
Vincent's in Pennsylvania. Believing that the venerable 
Order which he had transplanted upon American soil was 
destined to exercise an apostolate in the interests of reli- 
gion, civilization and education as it had done so glorious- 
ly for many centuries in Europe until its activity was 
crippled by pernicious legislation, he accepted an invita- 
tion of the Bishop of St. Paul, to send some priests for the 
northern part of the St. Paul diocese and eventually to 
found a house of the Order in that diocese. 

Early in April, 1856, a small missionary band, composed 
of the Very Rev. Demetrius Marogna, Frs. Cornelius Witt- 
mann and Bruno Riss, both clerics in Minor Orders who 
had just completed their studies, and two lay brothers, 
Benno Muckenthaler and Patrick Greil, set out from St. 
Vincent's and after a tedious journey by steamboat down 
the Ohio and up the Mississippi, arrived in St. Paul on 
May 2. 

P. Demetrius, to whom the direction of the enterprise 
was entrusted, was descended from a noble family in the 
northern part of Italy and was born September 17, 1802 at 
Villa Lagarina, in the southern part of Tyrol. After the 



St. John's University 3 

war of 1809, the Count de Marogna left Tyrol with his 
family and took np his residence in Bavaria, where the 
young Count Charles — the subject of this sketch — re- 
ceived an education suitable to his station and rank. While 
pursuing his studies, he began to realize the emptiness of 
a purely worldly career and resolved to devote himself to 
the sacred ministry. Having finished a seminary course 
in Mayence, he was ordained a priest in 1824 and during 
the following twenty-three years served as pastor in the 
dioceses of Mayence and Augsburg. 

In 1847 he left Bavaria to spend the remainder of his 
life in the missions of the United States where, as he had 
learned from periodicals and newspapers, there was a 
scarcity of priests, especially in the German settlements 
in the middle and western States. The first scene of his 
labors was western Illinois — Germantown and vicinity, 
where he served under the jurisdiction of the bishop of 
Chicago till 1852. To his serious and reflecting mind, the 
perils of missionary life were too great and he concluded 
to retire from the missions into monastic seclusion. He 
entered the novitiate of St. Vincent's, Pa. in 1852 and in 
less than two years from that time he found himself eleva- 
ted to the office of Prior of that monastery, a position 
which he occupied during a critical period and which he 
resigned when he was chosen to organize an establishment 
of the Order in distant Minnesota. 

Shortly after the arrival of the colony in St. Paul, the 
two clerics, Fr. Cornelius and Fr. Bruno, were ordained 
priests. On May 20, the party arrived in Sauk Eapids 
and on the following day for the fir.st time visited St. Cloud, 
the county seat of Stearns County. This county was 
organized in the winter of 1854-55 and at the time of the 
arrival of the Benedictines, St. Cloud was the only village 
which it could boast. Some slight beginnings had been 
made here as early as 1852, it appears, but the place first 
began to attract attention in 1854 and '55, when settlers 
from Indiana and other middle States made their homes 



4 St. John's Univeesity 

on the present site of the city. 

At that time there lived on two claims near the river 
and about 2 miles south of St. Cloud, two brothers, Louis 
and William Rothkopp, both single and well advanced in 
years. Prompted, probably, by a desire to encourage the 
establishment of a house of the Order near St. Cloud, they 
had made an offer of their claims (320 acres) to the 
Fathers, who, in good faith, entered into possession. They, 
in turn, were required to support the two brothers for the 
rest of their days. Without delay the Fathers proceeded 
to establish a monastery on one of the claims: an humble 
makeshift of a monastery in point of buildings. The latter 
consisted of a log-hut, destitute of comfort and furniture ; 
a small frame addition, to serve as a kitchen, was at once 
built. Late in fall a small stable was built for the two 
horses and the cow which constituted the entire live-stock of 
the community. 

From this point the Fathers visited the settlements in 
Stearns and neighboring counties, gathered the people, 
formed congregations, began erecting churches and schools 
and soon had the satisfaction to learn that their labors 
were not unrewarded, for the people responded eagerly, 
and soon log-chapels were reared, which in many instances 
named the settlements, as St. Joseph, St. Augusta, St. 
Wendel, St. Martin etc. The importance of the school 
was not ignored: the children were collected for instruction 
for a few months a year. At St. Cloud, P. Cornelius, who 
was the first pastor of the place, established a school in 
October 1856, on the south-west corner of Block 6, Wash- 
ington and Lake Streets; the school quarters were a frail 
shed built of boards. Such was the first school in Steams 
County. P. Cornelius held services for the congregation 
on Sundays and taught the school during the week until 
summer 1857. 

The Fathers realized that in course of time some pro- 
vision must be made for higher education; moreover, if 
the Order and its missionary work was to be permanent in 



St. John's University 5 

Minnesota, provision had to be made for training can- 
didates for the Order. For some time and as long as 
the monastery continued to be dependent upon St. Vin- 
cent's, it might rely upon that institution for help; 
but it was desirable, and very naturally so, that each 
new establishment be self supporting in every re- 
spect. No shrewd calculations were made in advance: 
a college was a necessity and whether it was to prove a 
financial success or not was a question that received no 
consideration. Like Abbot Boniface Wimmer, the Fathers 
were willing to admit students who lacked the means to 
pay their way through a course of study; they were 
convinced that their labors would be recompensed in one 
form or another. 

First of all it was important to secure corporate rights 
for the Order in Minnesota and a charter for the prospec- 
tive educational institution. The charter was drawn up 
and introduced into the House of Representatives (as 
House file No. 70) during the eighth session of the Terri- 
torial Legislature, on January 22. 1857, by Hon. John L. 
Wilson, of St. Cloud. It was 

A BILL 

For an Act to Incorporate the St. John Seminary. 

Whereas, It is highly important, that the youths of this 
new, but flourishing Territory, be not only instructed in 
the elementary sciences, but moreover, be also educated 
by sound, moral principles; 

And, Whereas, It is very desirable, that there be a cor- 
poration formed, in order to establish a scientific, educa- 
tional and ecclesiastical institution; 

In consideration thereof. 

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the Terri- 
tory of Minnesota: 

Sec. 1. That the members of the religious order of St. 
Benedict, Demitri Marogna, Cornelius Wittmann, Bruno 
Kiss, Alexius Roetzer and their associates and successors 



6 St. John's University 

in office, which order is instituted for scientific, educational 
and ecclesiastical purposes, be a body politic and corporate, 
to be known by the name and style of "Order of St. Bene- 
dict," and by that name shall have perpetual succession. 

Sec. 2. The principal object of this politic and corpo- 
rate body shall be the promotion of the instruction and 
education of youths, to the acquirement of which end the 
corporators named in this act shall be hereby authorized 
to establish and erect an institution, or seminary, in 
Stearns county, on that portion of St. Cloud city, platted 
and recorded as Rothkopp's Addition to St. Cloud, to be 
known by the name and style of "St. John's Seminary." 

(Then follow eight other sections detailing the rights 
and duties of the corporation.) 

The Bill was launched upon a stormy sea and encoun- 
tered much prejudice and opposition from those to whom 
the existence of an educational institution controlled by 
Catholic clergymen appeared a menace to the public wel- 
fare. After being passed from the House to the Council 
with amendments in which the upper body refused to con- 
cur and to the elimination of which the House finally 
agreed, the bill was passed February 27. It was among 
the last bills reported and was signed by Governor Willis 
A. Gorman on March 6, 1857. 

Thus the new institution was given public recognition 
and the Fathers were encouraged to proceed in their enter- 
prise, the organization of the first private institution for 
higher education in Minnesota. They asked for no State 
aid and had no hopes of ever receiving assistance from 
that quarter. Pecuniary resources were slender and the 
year 1857 was marked by a financial crisis, to say nothing 
of the dire grasshopper visitation which had been disast- 
rous to the crops in 1856 and the ravages of which were 
still felt in this part of the Territory in 1857. 



St. John's Univeksity 7 

Pbiob Cornelius Wittmann 

On October 7, 1857 P. Demetrius retired from the prior- 
ship and upon invitation of the late Msgr. A. Ravoux, 
then administrator of the vacant see of St. Paul, accepted 
the pastorate of the Assumption church in the city of St. 
Paul. From January 1858 to June 1863 he labored in 
this position: then his poor health and advanced age in- 
duced him to retire from active service in the mission. 
During the next two years he served as chaplain of St. 
Joseph's Academy in St. Paul, until his steady decline in 
health compelled him to give up this work also. After 
spending the better part of two years at St. Augustine, 
Florida, in the vain hope of recovering his health he re- 
turned to Minnesota and died at St. Paul, March 27, 1869. 

On his retirement in October 1857, he was followed in 
the office of Prior by P. Cornelius Wittmann, hitherto 
pastor of St. Cloud, who now made his headquarters at the 
priory, but continued to hold services in St. Cloud on 
Sundays . 

The new institution had been chartered as a Seminary, 
but as that designation was not familiar to the public, the 
name "College" soon came into vogue. It was not a pre- 
tentious college; the buildings, staff and equipment were 
lacking, — but all beginnings are small and the founders 
were confident that its future was assured. The Prior of 
the community acted as ex-officio President of the College. 

When the College was opened Nov. 10, 1857, there was 
but one professor and five students: the professor was P. 
Cornelius and the pioneer students, Henry Emmel and 
Anthony Edelbrock (in later years Abbot and President 
of the institution) of St. Cloud, Henry Klostermann of 
Richmond, Andrew Stahlberger of Lake George and Jos. 
Duerr of St. Joseph. 

The simplicity of the institution may be inferred from 
the following graphic memoir from the pen of one of the 
students of those days : ''Think of the primitive log building 



8 St. John's University 

about 12x20, then to this an additional structure about 
14x20, in height one story and an attic — the latter weather 
boarded — situated about two miles below St. Cloud on the 
Mississippi river and you have a fine picture of St. John's 
in 1857. The whole building contained, besides kitchen 
and studio, three small rooms, one for the Prior, one for 
the professor and the third was kept for an occasional 
guest. In those days guests were few and far between. 
The term professor was used in the singular only, because 
there was but one and he taught all the branches. The 
Rev. Father Cornelius Witt mann, O. S. B. was the first to 
open a day school in St. Cloud and Stearns County, and 
he also was the first to fill the professor's chair at St. 
John's. He was at that time still in the twenties, nimble 
of foot, bright in mind, pleasant in company; the children 
and the young folks were especially fond of him: he was 
a zealous and amiable gentleman." 

P. Cornelius was a painstaking teacher and a strict dis- 
ciplinarian: but it was his considerate kindness that recon- 
ciled the students to the primitive conditions prevalent in 
the poor little college. Thus in a reminiscent mood one of 
the early students writes: "We were frontier lads, accus- 
tomed to ample elbowroom: broad prairies, little restraint 
and good meals suited us first rate. We had largely been 
our own bosses and to enjoy life was not at all the last or 
least of our aspirations. When therefore the reins were 
slowly but firmly put upon us, there were sour faces, and 
one or the other even doubted whether he ought not at once 
bid a long, lingering adieu to Apollo and the Muses. 

"The college regulations were read to us. We had to 
rise at five o'clock, say our morning prayers, attend daily 
Mass; then study and at seven o'clock breakfast: i. e. a cup 
of coffee and a slice of dry bread — no butter or molasses 
or sugar there. After breakfast free for one half -hour; at 
8 o'clock classes began and lasted until 11; then dinner. 
After dinner, free time until one o'clock; then classes were 
resumed. At 3 we received a piece of dry bread. This, 



St. John's University 9 

with fresh water, was relished with a gusto. From 4 to 6 
we had to study; at 6 supper. From 7^ to 8^ study time, 
then night prayers and to bed .... 

"There was poverty everywhere; a poor and miserable 
house, poor and scant food; poor and bad lights. The 
tallow candle was the only light in those days. Then no- 
body knew anything of kerosene, gas or electric light, the 
indispensable requisites of the modern school room. Must 
it not be a surprise to some people of our days, that in 
centuries gone by such great luminaries arose, illuminated 
only by the tallow candle? Yet such is the truth. The 
greatest men the world ever saw were surrounded by poverty 
and poor light. We had few books. The professor lec- 
tured; we had to write. Yes, we were started in on the 
European plan."* 

Meanwhile difficulties had arisen, involving the posses- 
sion of the two claims which the community occupied. 
To escape possible embarrassments from litigation, Prior 
Cornelius determined to transfer both the priory and the 
college to St. Joseph, eight miles west of St. Cloud. The 
transfer was made on March 5, 1858. Here the college 
was continued in a log structure, 25x30. Prior Cornelius 
turned his attention to the general direction of the affairs 
of his community and was succeeded in the management 
of the college by P. Alexius Roetzer, whose name appears 
in the charter as one of the corporators. He came to Min- 
nesota in October 1856 and had hitherto been employed 
in ministering to the missions of Stearns, Benton, Meeker 
and Wright counties. He was a man of imposing physical 
stature, with an emaciated countenance from which beamed 
a bright intellect; he was zealous and amiable, pious and 
talented, kind, yet strict. He carried into the class-room 
the same zeal with which he had visited the missions and 
enjoyed the love and confidence of his class. He was an 
excellent professor, still the number of students did not 



* S.J.U. Record, vol. 1.62. 



10 St. John's University 

increase during his regime. The times were too hard and 
the settlers too poor. He worked faithfully until June 
1859 when his rapidly failing health compelled him to re- 
sign. He felt that he was doomed and returned East; on 
February 25, 1860 he expired at St. Vincent's at the age of 
twenty-eight. 

In September 1858 the first general chapter of the Order 
in the United States was held at St. Vincent's. Prior 
Cornelius and P. Benedict Haindl of the Minnesota mis- 
sion attended. At this chapter the St. Cloud priory was 
declared independent and authorized to exist as a separate 
community. P. Benedict Haindl was at the same time 
elected as first canonical Prior of the monastery, and his 
election was duly approved by a decree of the Propaganda 
Dec. 23. 1858. 

Prior Benedict Haindl (1858 - 62) 

who had joined the Benedictine Order at St. Vincent's and, 
since his ordination to the priesthood in 1849, had dis- 
played his abilities in several important capacities, came 
to Minnesota in April 1857. Since his arrival he had 
served in the missions of Scott, Le Sueur and Carver coun- 
ties, where he visited and organized a number of congrega- 
tions. 

When he entered upon the duties of his office late in 
1858, P. Cornelius retired and was appointed pastor at 
Shakopee. Prior Benedict did not consider the late trans- 
fer of the institution expedient and in March 1859, both 
monastery and college were again removed to St. Cloud, 
i. e. to the Rothkopp's claim. 

After P. Alexius' retirement from the professorship in 
June 1859, he was succeeded by P. Anschar Frauendorfer, 
who, in addition to the work of the class room, attended the 
mission of St. Augusta twice a month. P. Anschar was a 
man of scholarly attainments and is remembered by his 
pupils as an excellent professor of the Greek language. He 
occupied the position of professor with much credit from 



St. John's University 11 

September 1859 to November 13, 1860, when he became 
assistant to the pastor of the Assumption church, in St. 
Paul, and was followed in the professorial chair by P. Mag- 
nus Mayr who had arrived from St. Vincent's in August of 
that year. 

P. Magnus was an able teacher and the attendance during 
his administration was very satisfactory. He was assisted 
in the class room by Mr. John Daxacher, a student of 
theology and subsequently a wellknown clergyman in the 
diocese of Omaha (f Nov. 1904). Owing to the increase 
of attendance, the accommodations were insufficient and 
a new building, 22x54, was erected in 1861. It was the in- 
tention of the community to establish an ecclesiastical 
seminary distinct from the classical school. Bishop Grace 
on his return from an official visit to the settlements along 
the Red River, had encouraged the Fathers to make this im- 
provement and had promised students and substantial as- 
sistance. In fall, 1861, P.Magnus retired and was succeeded 
by P. Anschar Frauendorfer. P. Magnus did not remain 
a member of the community, but accepted an appointment 
as pastor in the diocese of St. Paul, in which he continued 
to serve at various places — Chanhassen, East Minneapolis 
and, finally, St. Walburga (Rogers P. O.), where he died 
Jilne 29, 1888. Among his papers were several interesting 
notes which are embodied in the present sketch. 

Troublesome days were drawing nigh : in spring 1861 the 
Civil War broke out and the excitement pervaded even the 
Arcadian seclusion of the frontier college. Still, work was 
not seriously hampered. The scholastics, or students who 
were preparing to enter the Order, were permitted to wear 
the habit of the Order, as was customary in St. Vincent's. 
Mr. Daxacher, who has been mentioned above, received 
the habit in December 1861, and on January 6 following, 
Fratres Benedict M. Duerr, Boniface Emmel, "Willibald 
Michel, Augustine Marshall and Valentine Stimmler were 
invested as scholastics. They were not bound by vows 
and attended classes with the other students. 



12 St. John's University 

Although the school near St. Cloud seemed to be pro- 
gressing satisfactorily, there was a sentiment favorable to 
a transfer of the institution into the more populous dis- 
tricts of the State and Shakopee was deemed an eligible 
locality. This project, however, was abandoned. When 
the institution was transferred to St. Cloud in 1859, the 
tenure of the Rothkopp claim was uncertain. Now, new 
complications set in. Mr. Geo. F. Brott, who had carried 
mail between Minneapolis and St. Cloud from 1855 - 58 
and for this service was entitled to select public lands, 
laid claim to the premises held by the Rothkopps and had 
taken steps to make good his claim in Washington. There 
was a lively dispute which continued until February 20, 
1862 when the commissioner of the general land office de- 
cided against Mr. Brott. The latter appealed from this 
decision to the Secretary of the Interior, Caleb B. Smith, 
who reversed the commissioner's ruling on April 25, 1862. 
Of the 320 acres in litigation, only 75 were awarded to 
Louis Rothkopp. The other brother had died in 1859. 

Troubles never come singly: during August 1862 the 
citizens of Minnesota had a rebellion of the Sioux Indians 
on hand. On August 21, the savages attacked New Ulm 
and perpetrated a dreadful massacre. "The counties along 
the Minnesota river" says J. Fletcher Williams,* "were 
not the only ones ravaged by the red devils during that 
week of blood. McLeod, Monongalia, Kandiyohi, Stearns, 
Meeker, Otter Tail, Douglas, Sibley, etc., were all overrun 
in whole or in part, and theinhabitants either butchered or 
driven away. The first blood of the outbreak had been 

shed at Acton, Meeker county Western and southern 

Stearns county suffered severely from the depredations of 
the red foe. About August 23d, they committed murders 
and other crimes near Paynesville. The people of that 
town erected a strong stockade, and the citizens and 
refugees from points further west sheltered themselves 



* History of the Mississippi Valley. Page 147. 



St. John's University * 13 

therein. A part of the town was burned but no attack was 
made on the post. At Maine Prairie, St. Joseph's, Sauk 
Centre, Clear Water, Little Falls, and other places, similar 
stockades were built and held by a few determined citi- 
zens. At St. Cloud, which was filled with refugees, strong 
fortifications were built and preparations made to defend 
the place to the utmost, but no foe ever appeared, fortu- 
nately. A number of persons were murdered in the wes- 
tern and southern part of Stearns county, and houses 
burned." 

Most of the settlers who lived in the vicinity of St. 
Cloud fled to that town; the College, too, was seized by a 
panic and was forced to suspend work. Several of the 
students left; the rest, together with the community, took 
refuge in St. Cloud where work wps continued as well as 
circumstances permitted. 

Prior Benedict's term of office had expired, much to his 
own relief, for he had lived through bitter days. At a 
chapter held at St. Cloud on October 15. 1862, a successor 
to P. Benedict was elected in the person of Very Rev. P. 
Othmar Wirtz. 

Prior Othmar Wirtz (1862-65) 

had, since his ordination to priesthood in 1857, been Direc- 
tor of the College and Prior at St. Vincent's, Pa. He was 
a pious and zealous religious and had nothing more at 
heart than the promotion of monastic life. He arrived in St. 
Cloud November 17, 1862 and at once began to regulate 
the missionary work of the community. In consequence 
of the disturbance caused by the Indian outbreak, it was 
next to impossible to conduct college work. The class for 
some time was composed exclusively of candidates for the 
Order. 

The adverse decision of the Secretary of the Interior re- 
garding the Rothkopp claim was a source of great disap- 
pointment to the community : the fruit of five years' labor 
and expenditure was lost. Prior Othmar did not consider 



14 St. John's University 

the place, suitable for a monastery, because it was too near 
what promised to be a large city in due course of time. 
Hence he resolved to abandon the place and transfer the 
community into what was then called the Indian Bush, the 
woods west of St. Joseph. Here the Fathers had taken up 
several "claims" years before and several Brothers had 
lived there, cutting down timber and preparing the soil 
for cultivation. 

Before taking the final steps, Prior Othmar petitioned 
the State Legislature for an appropriate modification of 
the charter, which had authorized the erection of a semi- 
nary in a definite locality. That body early in 1864 passed 

AN ACT 

To AMEND AN ACT TO INCORPOEATE THE St JoHN'S 

Seminary, approved March sixth, 1857. 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minne- 
sota : 

Sec. I. That section two of an act to incorporate the 
St. John's Seminary be and the same is hereby amended 
so as to read as follows: 

Section 2. The principal object of this politic and 
corporate body shall be the promotion of the instruction 
and education of youths, to the acquirements of which end 
the corporators named in this act shall be hereby author- 
ized to establish and erect an institution or seminary in 
Stearns County to be known by the name and style of St. 
John's Seminary." 

Sec. II. This act shall take effect and be in force from 
and after its passage. 

Approved February 6. 1864. 

Shortly after the approval of this Act, the third transfer 
was made and operations were resumed in the heart of the 
Indian Bush, a short distance from the present College- 
ville station. There was no railway line west of the 
Mississippi at the time. 



St. John's University 15 

Here P. Benedict had caused a house to be built five 
years before. It was too small for the community, and a 
more pretentious frame building, also a neat little chapel 
had been built. A fair piece of land had been placed, 
under cultivation ; there was water and fuel near by and 
the vicinity was gradually building up. This was the 
home of the community for almost three years. One 
building sheltered the religious and the few students. P. 
Wolfgang Northman, who had come from St. Vincent's as 
a cleric in 1862 acted as professor and disciplinarian. 
Late in 1864 Fr. Valentine Stimmler, the only scholastic 
remaining of the class of 1862, was sent into the novitiate 
at St. Vincent's, being the first novice from Minnesota. 
He returned towards the end of 1865 and continued his 
theological studies. 

On December 11, 1865, Prior Othmar retired from office 
and was succeeded, temporarily, by the former Prior P. 
Benedict. P. Othmar, who was suffering from some pul- 
monary malady, became assistant at the Assumption 
church, St. Paul, where after almost nine years of an 
exemplary, devoted life he died June 8, 1874. Prior Bene- 
dict had himself chosen the site on which the monastery 
stood in 1865 — section 31 of the township of St. Wendel 
— but less than two miles to the southwest there was what 
appeared to him to be a still more desirable location, at 
least for the buildings. It was rolling country covered 
with dense woods and its most attractive and useful fea- 
ture was a delightful lake about 400 acres in extent. With- 
out delay, he prepared for the fourth transfer. In January 
1866 a site on an elevation on the northern shore of the 
lake was selected for the buildings; trees were cut down 
and as soon as spring set in, excavations for the base- 
ment were begun. The entire personnel of the monastery 
assisted in the work ; there were, besides, a number of paid 
laborers. 

The first building was constructed of boulders, or "nig- 
ger heads" picked up at or near the building site. Trave- 



16 St. John's University 

lers through this part of the State may still see buildings 
of this apparently unwieldy material. The structure was 
46x50 ft. and its unadorned front faced the rising sun. 
Besides the basement, there were two stories and an attic. 
The basement was intended for cellars, kitchen and din- 
ing room; the first and second floor as quarters — tem- 
porarily — for the Fathers, study and class rooms; the 
attic as a dormitory for the students. On the ridge of the 
roof was an open turret in which hung the college bell — 
that sweet-voiced bell which pealed for matin song from 
a small belfry near the Mississippi in 1857 and accom- 
panied the community in all its wanderings. And today 
fifty years after its arrival, its voice is as clear as it was 
then; and it hangs in the northwest turret of the college 
buildings, still doing service as a college bell. The jubilee 
class will most assuredly not forget to decorate the good 
old bell with a wreath of water lilies. 

Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Grace laid the foundation stone of 
the building on July 19, 1866; on February 1, 1867, the 
community left the "old farm" and made its home in the 
new structure. The buildings near St. Cloud had been 
destroyed by fire on February 20. 1866; the frame- 
house and chapel were taken apart and transported to the 
new site, and thus all immediate temptations to migrate 
were effectually disposed of. 

Abbot Boniface Wimmer, during his sojourn in Rome in 
1865, negotiated for the elevation of the St, Cloud priory 
to an abbey; his efforts were successful and on August 3, 
1866 the Holy See erected the abbey and authorized the 
Fathers to elect their first abbot. On December 12, 1866, 
they assembled at the old farm and elected the Very Rev. 
Rupert Seidenbush, then Prior of St. Vincent's abbey. 
This selection was approved by the Holy See March 15, 
1867; two days later followed a decree authorizing the 
name of "St. Louis on the Lake" for the abbey. 



St. John's University 17 

The Alumni 

The students before 1867 speak of themselves as students 
of "old" 8t. John's. Few in number, their deeds at college 
fill no volumes. No annual catalogues were printed; local 
newspapers preserve scarcely a trace of the early institu- 
tion. The first school-year was opened with an attendance 
of five pupils; for a few years this number did not grow 
appreciably. For a short time as many as twenty students 
were enrolled. 

In the absence of complete and authentic records, only 
a partial list of the early alumni can be given : 

A. and H. Berlemann; two brothers, had been students 
at St. Vincent's and returned to that institution when the 
Indian troubles broke out in 1862; 

Peter Droitcour; 

Henry Duerr; 

Joseph Duerr; became a schoolteacher and taught 
in various parts of the State; 

Stephen Engels; 

Anthony Edelbrock; subsequently Abbot; 

Joseph Edelbrock; deceased; 

Dan. Elberth; 

Louis Elberth; 

Henry J. Emmel, of Spring Hill; 

Louis Emmel, died as a druggist in New York city; 

Stephen Ethen, of Cold Springs, deceased; 

Sephen Fiedler, of St. Joseph; 

Edward Francis; 

Edward Goerger, of St. Cloud; 

Alfred Jordan; 

John Kaufmann; 

Henry Klostermann; 

Christian Looser; 

Theodore Lueke; 

Conrad A. Marschall, became a schoolteacher; 

B. Michel; 



18 St. John's Univeksity 

Frank Minar; 

Frank Molitor; 

August Mockenhaupt, of St. Cloud; died 1902; 

Gustav Mockenhaupt, of St. Cloud, attended about 
1862: subsequently finished his studies at St. Francis sem- 
inary, near Milwaukee, and was pastor of Centralia, 111. at 
the time of his death, September 26, 1868; 

Paul Mockenhaupt of St. Cloud; at present a mer- 
chant in Chicago; 

Robert Mockenhaupt of St. Cloud, at present in 
Los Angeles, Cal. 

Henry Robbers, of St. Cloud; 

P. Ruppi; 

Henry Schmidt; 

Andrew Stalberger, of Lake George; 

Valentine Stimmler, now P. Valentine, O. S. B.; 

John Teller; 

Frank Vrabeck. 
Despite the poverty of the pioneer institution, its alumni 
have always cherished their Alma Mater and have shown 
their loyalty in word and deed. To some of them, espe- 
cially to Mr. H. J. Emmel, the present generation owes a 
debt of gratitude for reminiscences of the early days; 
among others a pencil sketch of the buildings at St. 
Cloud in 1861. 



I 

CHAPTER II. 

Reconstruction — School-yeaes 1867 - 1875 

1867 - '68 

The first abbot of St. Louis on the Lake was solemnly 
inducted into the abbatial office by Bishop G. A. Carrell, 
of Covington, Ky. at St. Vincent's abbey on May 30, 
1867, left for the West on June 1 and arrived at his 
abbey on the 13th of that month. On July 24 following, 
arrived P. Augustine Burns and the cleric, Fr. Alexius 
Edelbrock, who as Anthony Edelbrock was one of the first 
students of "old" St. John's. He had comeback to support 
the new abbot in the reorganization of the college, which 
during the last three years had all but gone out of ex- 
istence. 

Although the stone building was unassuming in appear- 
ance and fitted with few comforts, it was deemed quite an 
achievement forty years ago. But its isolation was con- 
sidered an invaluable advantage, despite the great distance 
which visitors, baggage, provisions etc. had to be carried 
over pioneer-day roads. 

Abbot Rupert lost no time in placing the institution into 
public view and both the Wanderer and North Western 
Ohronicle, the only Catholic papers in the State, carried 
advertisements of the institution. That which appeared 
in the Chronicle of July 13, 1867 read as follows: 

"St. John's College. Under the charge of the Benedic- 
tine Fathers, of the abbey of St. Louis on the Lake, situa- 

19 



20 St. John's University 

ted in the most healthy region of the State of Minnesota, 
will commence its half-yearly regular course of studies on 
the Second Day of September. Admission Fee, $5.00; 
Yearly Pension $175. Payable half-yearly in advance. 
No extra charges except for medical attendance, medicine, 
books and stationery. For advice address Rt. Rev. Rupert 
Seidenbush, O. S. B., Abbot, Clinton, P. O., Stearns Co., 
Minn." (Clinton was the name of the post office at St. 
Joseph.) This advertisement was launched into publicity 
without an editorial comment or "send-off" of any descrip- 
tion. 

On September 2, as announced, the students assembled 
and the machinery of the "republic of letters" was set in 
operation. The abbot of the monastery was ex-officio 
President of the college: the management, however, was in 
the hands of the director, also styled President, the late 
P. Wolfgang Northman, who since his ordination in 1865 
had been pastor at St. Joseph until he was called to the 
College in July 1867. Fr. Valentine Stimmler was discip- 
linarian and study-keeper. The teaching faculty consis- 
ted of P. Wolfgang, P. Alexius (ordained Sept. 29) Fr. Val- 
entine, two secular clergymen, Rev. Dr. Ayl ward. Rev. J. 
Kearney and a Mr. Stein. 

The curriculum comprised the following branches: 
Christian Doctrine, two classes; Latin, four classes; Greek, 
two classes; English Rhetoric; Grammar, two classes; Elo- 
cution; Reading and Spelling, three classes; German 
Rhetoric; German Grammar and Reading, two classes; 
French, two classes; Geometry; Algebra; Arithmetic, four 
classes; Book-keeping, two classes; History, two classes; 
Penmanship; Drawing; Music — Piano, Violin, Brass In- 
truments, and Vocal Music. 

P.Wolfgang chiefly taught Music; P. Alexius, Classics; 
Dr. Aylward, English branches; Rev. Kearney, Mathemat- 
ics; Mr. Stein, German, and the student, Andrew Schiffrer 
— who later entered the Order as Fr. Vincent — Drawing. 

From the range and variety of branches taught, it is 



St. John's University 



21 



evident the College from the first sought to meet the needs 
of the people in whose midst it was built: there was a pre- 
paratory course for the young man who was satisfied to 
"plough his patrimonial fields," a book-keeping class for the 
youth preparing for commercial pursuits, a classical course 
for aspirants to the learned professions. That some of 
these classes enjoyed a very slender attendance, may easily 
be imagined. A special theological department had not 
yet beea organized, but there were two students for the 
course — Jos. B. Cotter and Fr. Valentine O. S. B., who re- 
ceived private instruction in theology and kindred branches. 
Fifty-one students were enrolled during this year; they are: 



Abb, John 
Beez, Joseph 
Betzold, Joseph 
Bohn, William 
Brennan, "William 
Broker, Ignatius 
Corrigan, Severin 
Cotter, Joseph B. 
Crever, Constantine 
DeMeules, Louis 
Doheny, Walter 
Donovan, James 
Dreher, Otto 
Erkens, Frederic 
Greven, Ignatius 
Griebler, Francis 
Helhacke, Joseph 



Hemmisch, Mat. 
Hofbauer, John 
Huhn, Martin 
Just, G. 
Kerst, Conrad 
Latsch, Francis 
Leuthard, Joseph 
Mclntire, Martin 
Mitsch, George 
Moosbrugger, A nth. 
Muggli, Edward 
Pendy, Alex. 
Pendy, John 
Pross, William 
Reiss, George 
Reitmeyer, Vincent 
Robbers, Henry 



Schaller, Francis 
Schiffrer, Andrew 
Schleper, Tobias 
Schmit, Anthony 
Schmoeger, Max. 
Schott, Martin 
Schwartz, Frank 
Shanley, John 
Sheare, Sylvester 
Simonitsch, Mat. 
Stimmler, Valentine 
Stockard, John 
Tenvoorde, William 
Walz, Joseph 
Watry, Dominic 
Weitzel, Joseph 
Williams, Charles. 



Of these, J. Abb is a priest of the diocese of Green Bay 
and chaplain of St. Vincent's Hospital in that city; Sev. 
J. Corrigan, is a well known Western physicist and astro- 
nomer, in St. Paul; L. J. DeMeules, a former president 
of the St. John's Alumni Association, is traveling sales- 
man for the house of G. R. Newell, Minneapolis, and re- 
sides at St. Cloud ; Otto Dreher for many years was teacher 
and organist at St. Joseph's church, Chicago; now retired 
from service; F. Erkens, whose son, Father Albert, is the 
present Director of St. John's, lives in Portland, Oregon ; 



22 St. John's University 

J. Shanley is Bishop of Fargo, N. D.; George Mitsch sub- 
sequently graduated from a college of Pharmacy in Phila- 
delphia, was proprietor of a drug store in St. Paul, also 
for some time Fire Commissioner of that city and Presi- 
dent of the St. John's Alumni Association, he is still among 
the living; Vincent Reitmeyer died as a member of the 
Society of Jesus April 17, 1888 at Santa Clara, Cal; John 
Hofbauer, distinguished for his musical attainments, en- 
tered the Benedictine Order and after many years of use- 
ful service at the institution, died July 17, 1901. Joseph 
Leuthard, known in the Order as Father Meinrad, fell a 
victim during the small pox epidemic at Melrose Nov. 28, 
1881. Frank Schwartz, in the Order Fr. Edmund, died of 
consumption before ordination Nov. 17, 1872. Fr. Valen- 
tine Stimmler, for a number of years pastor of various con- 
gregations in Stearns county and in St. Paul (1875-87) is 
chaplain in a convent at Frontenac, Minn. Dominic 
Watry, who was Fr. Placidus in the Order, died in the 
second year of his priesthood, August 25, 1876. Martin 
Mclntire and Max Schmoeger died before they had fin- 
ished their classical course. A. Moosbrugger became a 
prominent County offical of Stearns county and died 1897. 
J. B. Cotter is Bishop of Winona. Conrad Kerst of St. 
Paul, died 1891. Frank Schaller has made St. John's his 
home and is still in the employ of the institution. 

Classes began to recite at an early hour in the morning 
and each recitation consumed one hour. An oral examina- 
tion was held semiannually. One day each week — Thurs- 
day — was allotted for recreation, for which there was ample 
room in the broad forest and on the lake. 

One of the students of '68, C. J. Williams, thus describes 
conditions at and about St. John's: "Things were primi- 
tive in those days at that temple of learning. I remember 
this because on the morning after my arrival I heard of 
an Indian encampment along the lake-shore, some half 
mile distant from the college and being of an investigating 
turn of mind, resolved to visit it forthwith, which I did. 



St. John's University 28 

On my return I was informed that I had been out of 'bounds.' 
In the guilelessness of my childish nature, I asked where 
the line ran. As it was as imaginary as a parallel of longi- 
tude and much harder to find, a ad as it was easier for the 
authorities to forgive me than to answer my question, I was 
excused. 

Our base ball grounds were at the college gate. They 
were constructed like an angry porcupine's back. The 
frantic efforts of a fielder to chase down a ball in its crazy 
career through the array of maple stumps with which the 
diamond was studded, would be a revelation to the champ- 
ions at St. John's today. The multiplicity of caroms was 
appalling. There was some relief for the outs in the rule 
which retired a base-runner hit by a batted ball, for the 
man whose prowess at the home plate had sent the sphere 
on its wild course, was apt to find it going toward him be- 
fore he got very far on his journey. The woodman's axe 
has changed the face of nature in that locality now. I am 
reminded that sergeant John Pendy (see list above) of the 
St. Paul police, used to handle that implement very artis- 
tically and effectively. When the boys discovered a parti- 
cularly obnoxious monarch of the forest, John's Celtic 
brawn and genius was called into requisition, and like his 
ancestors in the old land, he cleared the way." 

In this way Mr. Wiliams continues unraveling the web 
of the past, describing impressions and experiences of a 
young man on the alert to mingle the monotony of class 
routine with all the enjoyments nature offered. The lake, 
especially, fascinated him and here is his account of an ex- 
perience. "It was upon this lake that I had my first ex- 
perience in fish-spearing. My entire loss of taste for fish 
dates from that hour. I don't know why it was necessary 
to choose a dark, dismal, shivery night for the purpose, but 
such it was. A 'scow' boat was used for transportation, 
probably because it was slower and could impart more 
doleful misery to its freight than any other known 
vessel. It was rowed by the unhappy oarsmen with an ac- 



i 



24 St. John's University 

tion and effect like that of an unreliable lever worked on a 
wabbly fulcrum against an obstinate counterforce. The 
moving spirit of the expedition stood, like ancient Neptune 
with his trident at the prow, only in fuller dress; he did 
the spearing. It is always necessary in order to clear the 
spear of its catch, to slop a quart of thirty degree lake-water 
in your neighbor's shoe or down his neck or to fondle him on 
his cheek with the slimy spoil. This I learned that night. 
I also learned the larger kind of turtle was a social animal, 
but of uncertain temper and with an unconquerable desire 
to hold on to something. The turtle is partial to fingers. 
After several hours of "sport" in company with the rest I 
regained the college, tired, wet, cold and sleepy, and with 
an uncomfortable knowledge that my appetite was wide 
awake and the butler fast asleep. Ever after I declined 
participating in this exhilarating pastime, preferring to 
spend my evenings with pagan poets whose society was a 
joyful relief after the company of a madman who wielded a 
successful fish-spear at night."* 

The lake had many attractive and many secluded haunts, 
each of which was dubbed with a special name — Caesar's 
Bay, Meier's Bay, Ignatius Lake, Doctor's Island. The 
name of this little island, upon which a chapel was built in 
1873, was given in memory of Dr. Aylward, who, it seems, 
did not disdain to partake in the simple sports of that day. 
One report attributes the origin of the name to the Doc- 
tor's catching a 30 pound (?) fish near the island: another, 
that he dropped his gold- rimmed spectacles into the waves 
off the island and never recovered them. 

There was at least one great festivity during the school- 
year. Abbot Rupert Seidenbush had gone to Europe be- 
fore the college was opened in September 1867 and re- 
turned in April 1868. Faculty and students conspired to 
make his return memorable. They decorated the building 
with inscriptions, transparencies and garlands; the brass 
band, composed of some six pieces, took position in the 

* St. J. U. Record, Vol. II pp, 22 



St. John's Univeksity 25 

bell turret and with the perennially soothing strains of 
"Home, Sweet Home" gladdened his second entrance into 
the institution. Bon-fires brightened the sky in the 
evening. 

Towards the end of June examinations were held, there- 
suits of which were published in the N. W. Chronicle, 
issue of June 27, and of Der Wanderer of the same date. 
The KoU of Honor was headed by the name of John 
Shanley, followed by that of Martin Mclntire. The rela- 
tive excellence of the students in each class was marked 
by the terms "most distinguished" and "distinguished." 
Honors were awarded in thirty-six classes. 

June 24th was Commencement day or as it was familiarly 
called "Exhibition" day; for it was one of the fashions of 
the age to make an impressive demonstration at the close of 
the school-term. The students were prepared to make a 
fine exhibition but there was no hall for the great audience, 
no stage for themselves. A shady, sheltered place was 
selected on the south side of the building, towards the 
lake; here a stage was hurriedly improvised that savored 
of the best features of the early Grecian theatre. The 
North Western Chronicle reported the event in its issue 
of July 4, as follows: — "On Monday of last week the first 
annual exhibition of St, John's College, situated in Clinton , 
Stearns Co., Minn, took place under the most flattering 
circumstances. About 350 persons were assembled to 
witness the performance, which we are informed was high- 
ly creditable to both students and teachers. The Band 
belonging to the College, but a few months in existence 
discoursed most excellent music on the occasion. The 
exercises commenced at 9 o'clock A. M. The following is 
the programme in full: 

PROGRAMME 

Overture, St. Cloud Orchestra 

Introductory address: Jos. Cotter 

"Cherry Bounce": a comic piece preformed by M. Huhn F. 



26 St. John's University 

Griebler, C. Kerst, H. Robbers, G. Mitsch, I. Broker 
Violin Solo-by J. Hofbauer 
A treatise on History-by J. Shanley 
Duett (comic)-F. Griebler and J. Hofbauer 
Nant© Strumpf (German comic)-performed by P. Schwartz, A. 

Moosbrugger and D. Watry. 
Music by the Orchestra 
Violin Solo-by J. Hofbauer 

Duett; "Hear Me Norma"- by F. Griebler and J. Hofbauer 
Harvest Storm, (a drama)-performed by W.Brennan, J. Donovan, 

C. Williams, C. Crever, J. Greven, F. Schwartz, J. Shanley, 

G. Reis, Jos. Waltz and J. B. Cotter 
Muiic by the Orchestra 
Die Vogelorgel (a German f arce)-performed by A. Moosbrugger, 

F. Schwartz, G. Reis. 
Duett (Departing Friends)-by Griebler and Hofbauer 
Music by the Orchestra 
Farewell address-by A. Moosbrugger 
Music by the Orchestra 

Vacation began ; the students departed for their homes ; 
the Band went to St. Paul and furnished the music for the 
picnic of the Assumption parish on July 4th. There was 
no vacation at the College, however. The stone building 
had grown too narrow; an extension was added to the north 
side. Bowlder construction was abandoned for brick, which 
were manu f actured in the immediate vicinity of the insti- 
tution. The addition was 100x40 feet, with cellarage, two 
stories and an attic. The style was severely simple-any- 
thing more elaborate would have been out of keeping with 
the wild grandeur of surrounding nature. For some time 
the first floor of the addition (at present the southern wing) 
to which a story was added after the cyclone of 1894, 
served as a dining room for the students, the second floor as 
study halls and the attic as a dormitory and trunk room. 

1868-69 

The new building was not finished when the next class 
arrived in September. It was under roof, however, by 
November and was partly occupied. Two months after 



St. John's University 27 

opening there were sixty-five students in attendance. {Der 
Wanderer, Nov. 7. 1868.) With the increase of accommo- 
dations, the rates for tuition were also raised: the sum 
payable for annual tuition was now $180; for instruction 
in music and use of the instrument per session, $10. 

It is a mistake to suppose the institution grew wealthy 
on such an income, for a number of the ecclesiastical stu- 
dents whose expenses were paid from diocesan seminary 
collections were given the benefit of a lower rate and there 
were not a few poor students who were unable to ofifer 
any pecuniary compensation whatever. 

The staff of professors was increased by the arrival, in 
March 1869, of Fr. Ulric Northman, a brother of P. Wolf- 
gang and, like him, an accomplished musician. The stu- 
dents, Messrs. J. B. Cotter and R. Haase, were employed 
to teach penmanship and drawing. 

A theological seminary was organized in the fall of 1868. 
Thefirst students were Messrs. J. B. Cotter, R. Haase, J- 
Hesse, J. Holzer, J. McGrloneand the two clerics, Fr. Valen- 
tine and Fr. Ulric. Fr. Valentine was ordained priest in 
March. P. Alexius was instructor in Moral Theology and 
several other branches in the course, and Dr. Aylward in 
Dogmatic Theology. Dr. Aylward died on Good Friday 
1887 at St. Patrick's rectory, Montreal. 

In March the State Legislature authorized the institu- 
tion to confer degrees. The Act is entitled "An Act to 
authorize the Trustees of St. John's Seminary to confer 
degrees and grant diplomas," and specifies: 

Sec. I. That the board of trustees of St. John's Semi- 
nary shall have the power to confer such degrees and grant 
such diplomas in their discretion as are usual in colleges 
and universities. 

Sec. II. This act shall take effect immediately. 
Approved March 5. 1869.* 

St. Patrick's day was celebrated with as much magnifi- 
cence as the simplicity of the West afforded. A report in 

* Special Laws of Minn. 1869 p. 363, 



28 St. John's Univeesity 

the N. W. Chronicle says: "The professors and students 
of the college, together with the Brothers of the Abbey cele- 
brated St. Patrick's day by attending High Mass in the 
morning, dispensing with study and labor during the day 
and indulging in the thoughts and memories that sponta- 
neously spring up as the hallowed associations of the past 
or the fond hopes for the future presented them to view. At 
4 P. M. all sat down to an entertainment gotten up expressly 
for the occasion by the faculty of the institution and which 
was in every way worthy of the day, the place and those 
who presented it. During the feast the college band dis- 
coursed sweet music and the choir burst forth with the most 
rapturous songs, the joy of the college students celebrating, 
the eloquent and appropriate remarks of the speakers, the 
feast of reason and flow of soul of the professors, taken al- 
together served to transplant all into an enchanted place, 
where a spring of perpetual youth washed away all the ills 
that flesh is heir to." Which report, incidentally, bears 
witness that in those cradle days there were some scribes 
possessed of no mean skill in blarney. 

There was about this time a pet bear at the college: he 
answered to the name of Muro, was droll and playful and 
enjoyed the freedom of the place. Gus Beaulieu was his 
trainer. Muro would appear on the scene, in season and out 
of season, in the dining room, in the class room, in the dor- 
mitory. During the two years of his sojourn here he had 
not been known to do any harm, and every human being 
had instinctively been kind to him. Towards the end of 
the school year,-on June 2.-one of the students, Sylvester 
Sheare of St. Paul, happened to be playing with the beast; 
he struck the animal which, infuriated by such unusual 
treatment, pursued him, overtook him at the lake shore and 
bit him in the throat. The boy died almost immediately 
and was taken to St. Paul for interment June 5. Muro 
was promptly put out of existence by a musket shot. 

This sad episode cast a gloom over the closing weeks 
of the term, and seems to be the reason why the celebra- 



St. John's Univeesity 29 

tion of St. Boniface day (June 5) was omitted this year. 
Nevertheless, the semi-annual examinations were held 
and the academic year was solemnly closed by an exhibition 
on St. John's day, June 24. A report of the results of the 
examination vas published in the JSf. JV. Chronicle. 

In a spacious hall erected for the purpose near the lake 
about 700 (?) visitors had assembled. The programme in- 
cluded: "The Plot of Potzentausend, a comedy; "Nach 
Cayenne, a farce: "A Sudden Arrival," a farce; speeches and 
musical selections, followed by the distribution of "pre- 
miums." Among the visitors at the College during the 
annual commencement were the Rt. Eev. Bishop Grace, 
who arrived at the College from St. Joseph, where he had 
officiated at the ceremony of laying the cornerstone of the 
new church ; Rev. John Ireland, St. Paul, Rev. Jas. Gol- 
rick, of Minneapolis and several Benedictine Fathers from 
various points in Stearns County. 

During this year there were enrolled 84 students, 40 of 
whom were preparing for the sacred ministry and the rest 
for secular pursuits. Among the students were, "Gus" 
Beaulieu, some time deputy U. S. marshal and known as 
"the watchdog of the Chippewas" in the Indian country; 
John Caulfield, Secretary of the St. Paul Water Co., 
Francis Cotter, brother of Jos. B.; Wm. Markoe, who is 
prominent in Catholic movements in the West and is a fre- 
quent contributor to Catholic papers and magazines ; Fran- 
cis Mershman, who has been connected with the College 
as a professor ever since, and Nicholas Steil at present P. 
Gregory, Subprior of the Abbey. 

1869 — 70. 

The two buildings hitherto occupied by the College soon 
proved close quarters. It was desirable to have the eccle- 
siastical seminary entirely separated from the other depart- 
ments; moreover, there was no sufficient supply of recita- 
tion rooms and, above all, it was necessary to separate the 



30 St. John's Univeesity 

monastery from the school. Work was begun on a new 
building in the summer of 1869, but such difficulties were 
encountered in digging for the foundation that work pro- 
ceeded slowly and the building was not ready for use until 
fall 1871. 

In October 1869 five new members of the Order arrived: 
Frs. Vincent Schiffrer Edmund Schwartz, Bernard Locni- 
kar and Alphonse Kuisle, who had just finished the year 
of noviciate at St. Vincent's. These, together with Frs. 
Boniface Moll and Simplicius Wimmer, who had arrived 
in June, formed a welcome addition to the staff. A corres- 
pondent informs Der Wanderer (issue of Nov. 20, 1869) 
that the attendance by November 14 was 78; that the quar- 
terly examination had just been held and the reports sent 
to the parents of the students. 

New Year's day 1870 was saddened by the death of Max 
Schmoeger, one of the most exemplary and popular stu- 
dents of the classical course. From a brief obituary writ- 
ten for the press by Fr. Boniface, it appears that Schmoe- 
ger was in the twenty-second year of his age when he died. 
He had left his parents and home in Europe in February 
1868 with the intention of becoming a religious and a 
priest, but a short and severe illness cut him off in the 
flower of his youth. He rests in the common cemetery at 
St. John's. Many years later his aged mother begged 
that a flower or some dust from the grave be sent her, 
that she might have some remembrance of her child that 
slept in a far distant country. 

On February 9 there was a public disputation, or debate, 
conducted by the seminarians in presence of the Rt. Rev. 
Abbot and faculty. Nine theses covered questions relat- 
ing to the marks of the Church, its infallible teaching 
authority, the Primacy of St. Peter and the authority and 
infallibility of the Roman Pontiffs. Record is also 
extant of a debate on February 24 of the question. Resol- 
ved, that capital punishment should be abolished. The 
disputants were J. B. Cotter, President of the Grace 



St. John's Univeesity 81 

Literary Association, supported by two assistants, for the 
affirmative and J. Keenan with similar support, for the 
negative; i^hile P. Wolfgang presided and decided the 
debate upon its merits. 

St. Patrick's day was not forgotten: High Mass was 
sung in the morning and the Rt. Rev. Abbot preached in 
the afternoon. Later there were speeches, songs and 
instrumental music. 

On May 8 young Ignatius Hole in the Day — orFairday, 
as his name appears in the college books — son of the 
famous Chippewa chief who was killed in 1868, and at the 
time a student at St. John's, was baptized by Rev. L 
Tomazin. On the same occasion the student Robert Kelly 
received the sacrament of baptism; his father was present 
during the ceremonies. 

The St. Boniface Literary Association which was foun- 
ded in the fall of 1869 prepared a celebration of the great 
Apostle of Germany on June 6. "Spectator" informs the 
press that the Association then had about forty members. 
In the morning of the feast the entire student body atten- 
ded at solemn High Mass and the members of the Associa- 
tion received Holy Communion. The afternoon was 
pleasantly spent in a picnic with music and declamations 
on the Eirenesos (Isle of Peace), known later as the "Bri- 
tish Isles." 

It had hitherto been customary to close school for the 
summer on St. John's day, June 24; the present year was 
an exception, for the exhibition took place on June 28. 
Several hundred people from the neighboring country 
flocked in to witness the event. Rain early in the morn- 
ing threatened to mar the joy of the day, but the sun 
blazed out from behind the clouds towards midday and the 
exhibition began. The students, preceded by the flag and 
band, marched to the hall where an entertainment was 
given, followed by the distribution of premiums. 

For the first time in the history of the College an jj 

Annual Catalogue was issued this year. It was a neat 



32 St. John's University 

little publication from the press of "T/ze Wander'er,''^ St. 
Paul, and in its 24 pages affords an insight into the doings 
of the College thirty-seven years ago. In the opening 
statement is to be found the information that "St. John's 
is situated at a distance of eighty-six miles from St. Paul, 
seventy-four miles of which are accessible by the St. Paul 
& Pacific Rail Road, the remaining twelve miles by stage 
or private conveyance." St. Joseph, the nearest town, was 
the station for mail; there was no railway or telegraph 
line west of the river as yet. The attractiveness of the 
locality is described thus: "The highly picturesque 
grounds of the College border to the south on a beautiful 
lake, six miles in circumference and abounding in fish. 
To the west is Lake Watab from which flows the Watab 
River, beautiful in its windings through the valleys as the 
Peneus through the Thessalian Tempe of old." It announ- 
ces that "the main building now under construction, will 
be completed this year. It will be one hundred feet long 
by fifty feet wide and four stories in height. It is almost 
superfluous to add that the play-grounds are more than 
ample enough for all kinds of recreation." 

Under the heading of "Regulations" were rules regard- 
ing degrees, examinations and quarterly reports, permis- 
sion to leave College during the term, use of tobacco, and 
mail. The "Terms" for a session of five months were: for 
Tuition and Board, $90; for Washing and Bedding, |5; 
for Drawing, |B; for Music and use of instruments, $10. 
Not unfrequently colleges in those days specified with 
what articles of clothing and other effects the student 
should be furnished when entering school: some required 
that the student s'hould furnish his own bedding; one, at 
least, suggested that each pupil have a full supply of 
postage stamps. In the catalogue under consideration is 
the provision: Every student must be provided with four 
suits of clothing, differing,^according to the seasons: six 
shirts, six pairs of stockings, six pocket-handkerchiefs, six 
towels, two pairs shoes or boots, ^two pairs slippers, clothes 




CO 
00 



00 
(0 
00 



z 
z 
o 



I- 

(0 



St. John's Univeesity 33 

and blacking brushes, and one pair swimming drawers." 
Fortunately, the pupil whose purse did not permit him to 
set up a wardrobe of such magnificent proportions as indi- 
cated in the above suggestion, was not refused admission. 

The "Course of Studies" is concisely stated on one page: 
it comprised three divisions — the Elementary School, the 
Classical Course, and the Theological Course. In the 
Elementary School instruction was given in Spelling, 
Reading, Penmanship, Arithmetic and Catechism. No 
time was specified in which this course could be finished; 
students were advanced into the other courses as their 
attainments warranted. The collegiate or Classical course 
comprised six classes: the Sixth, or lowest, was styled the 
First Class of Elements, and it was followed by the Second 
Class of Elements, Humanities, Poetry, Rhetoric and Phi- 
losophy. The branches studied in the lowest class of this 
course were Latin grammar, English grammar, German 
grammar, Bible History, Geography and Arithmetic. The 
Latin course was finished in five years; also the English 
and German courses. History was a subject throughout 
the entire course. Arithmetic was finished in the second 
year, Algebra in the fourth; Geometry and Trigonometry 
were the highest branches of mathematics taught and 
occupied the fifth year. Greek was introduced in the third 
year and Rhetoric in the fourth. For students who did 
not intend to prepare for the ministry there was a class in 
Bookkeeping. The first, or highest class studied mental 
and moral Philosophy. 

The theological course comprised Dogmatic and Moral 
Theology, Ecclesiastical History and Sacred Scripture, 
and was finished in three years. 

In the list of the Faculty, P. Wolfgang is styled Presi- 
dent and P. Alexius, Vice President; P. Valentine and Fr. 
Edmund are mentioned as disciplinarians. P. Ulric is 
mentioned as professor of Music, Latin, History etc; his 
name is followed by that of Rev. J. Meurs, a secular 
clergyman; then follow four younger members of the 



34 St. John's UNivERSiTr 

Order, Frs. Boniface, Simplicins, Alphonse and Bernard 
(subsequently Abbot and President). Mr. J. B. Cotter 
was employed as professor of Arithmetic and Penmanship, 
Mr. J. B. Nealis, as professor of Algebra; Mr. W. Brennan, 
of Arithmetic, Mr. F. Mershman, of Geometry, Messrs J, 
Keenan and J. Leuthard as professors of Bookkeeping and 
Mr. N. Bteil as teacher of Drawing and Architecture. 

Although the institution had been authorized to confer 
degrees early in 1869, the right had not hitherto been exer- 
cised. On June 24, 1870 the degree of Master of Arts 
was conferred on Fr. Boniface Moll and the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts on Fr. Simplicius Wimmer, Alphonse 
Kuisle, Bernard Locnikar and Messrs. J. B. Cotter and J. 
Nealis, both of St. Paul, Minn. 

Three student organizations are noticed in the Catalogue : 
the Sodality of the B. V. M., the Grace Literary Associa- 
tion and the St. Boniface Literary Association. A special 
chapter will be devoted to the history of the various orga- 
nizations, religious, literary, musical and dramatic. 

Space is also given the programme of the "Third Annual 
Exhibition," the leading features of which, aside from the 
music, were the Introductory Address by J. Caulfield: two 
farces, "The People's Lawyer" and "Lord McDonald"; a 
Latin essay on the utility of Philosophy by Mr. V. Reith- 
meyer, a Greek oration on Virtue by W. Maehren and a 
French essay by N. Steil on the Study of Languages; the 
Valedictory was delivered by J. B. Cotter. 

Then follows the Catalogue of Students who were in 
attendance during the academic year '69-' 70. It contains 
94 names: 12 for the ecclesiastical and 82 for the classical 
course. Four of the Seminarians were destined to exer- 
cise the ministry in the diocese of St. Paul and one in 
the Vicariate Apostolic of Colorado. Of the classical stu- 
dents the bulk was furnished by Minnesota; the states of 
Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Kentucky 
were also represented. Premiums were awarded in 18 
branches and 40 classes. 



St. John's Univeksitt 35 

1870-71 

The following school year was inaugurated in the second 
week of SeiDtember by a Solemn High Mass celebrated by 
the Kev. President; after which the niles and statutes of 
the College were read and explained by the President and 
classes began. Scanty shreds of history remain of this 
year. On October 5, feast of St. Placidus, the students 
marched to St. Joe in a body. A venerable old diary 
tells lis there was midnight Mass on Christmas, and that 
on the three days following, Fr. Boniface Moll received the 
higher Orders in St. Paul. 

The number of students in attendance was gratifying: a 
correspondent of the press says there were 67 in attendance 
in the first week in October. 

When Pius IX had deen despoiled of his temporalities 
in 1870 by Victor Emmanuel and the Papal States had been 
pronounced a part of united Italy, millions of faithful 
Catholics raised their voices in protest against this act of 
violence. The "first protest from Minnesota" was drawn 
ap and adopted at a meeting of the faculty and students of 
St. John's. The document fills nearly two columns of De?' 
Wa7idercr (Jan. 21.* 1871) and reads in part: "At a meet- 
ing of the superiors, faculty and students of St. John's 
College, on Sunday January 15, 1871 to express their sym- 
pathy with the Holy Father, addresses were delivered, a 
subscription of $44.65 was taken up, and the following 
protest read and adopted: 

'We the Abbot, superiors, professors and students of 
St. John's College with utmost aversion behold the injustice 
done our Holy Father by Victor Emmanuel, the so-called 
king of Italy, and therefore we raise this solemn protest 
against the sacrilegious injustice and detestable robbery. 
We hope that every lover of justice, whatever his creed may 
be, will join us in raising a voice of protest against this in- 
justice; an injustice, a robbery greater than any that has 
ever degraded the human race. In making this protest, 



36 St. John's University 

we maintain that no potentate of Europe wears the crown 
with such a well established right as the Pope, whose title 
to the Patrimony of Peter dates from the gray past and is 
therefore venerable and sacred. The Holy Father does not 
hold this Patrimony for his own personal emolument, but 
for the benefit and interest of the entire Catholic world . . . . 
In union with 200 millions of Catholics we protest and as- 
sert that the injustice done the Holy Father, his rights, 
privileges and immunities arouses in us the same feelings 
as if our own and personal property had been in question." 

It is an eloquent and vigorous denunciation of a wrong 
that deeply affects the entire Catholic communion and 
stands as a monument of the zeal and loyalty of the class 
of '71. 

On March 4 died the scholastic Martin Mclntire after an 
illness of twenty weeks. At 7 a. m. of March 7 the office 
of the Dead was recited by the community, after which 
there was a solemn Requiem Mass, followed by a sermon by 
P. Alexius. The E,t. Rqv. Abbot officiated at the burial. 

A Requiem was sung March 16 for a student, Michael 
Gruber of St. Joseph, Minn., who had died of typhoid fever at 
his home. • 

The chapel furniture was increased by the installment of 
a reed organ of French manufacture on March 20. It did 
good service in the humble chapel and as late as 1886 in 
the present church. Fathers Wolfgang and Ulric were 
both able organists. 

St. Patrick's day was celebrated by a solemn High Mass, 
but as it fell on a Friday in Lent, the secular celebration 
was transferred to Tuesday following, which was the feast 
of St. Benedict. On May 18. six students, among them the 
Indian chief Ignatius Hole-in-the-Day, received their first 
Holy Communion. June 16, was the feast of the Sacred 
Heart and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the election of 
Pope Pius IX. There was solemn High Mass by Prior 
Benedict, P. Alexius and Fr. Alphonse. P. Alexius 



St. John's University 37 

preached an appropriate sermon and the celebration was 
closed with a Te Deum. 

The closing exercises of the academic year took place 
on June 28. According to the catalogue, which in its main 
features is similar to that of the preceding year, the staff 
of professors was composed of seventeen members. The 
only degree conferred this year was that of Bachelor of 
Arts upon Messrs. Timothy Murphy, Vincent Reitmeyer 
and William Brennan. The programme of Exhibition day 
included music, vocal and instrumental, two comedies, 'The 
Photograph" and "My Cousin Coming forth from his Rural 
Retreat" and orations in four different languages. F. Cot- 
ter delivered the introductory address and Jos. Scbultethe 
valedictory. During the year the total enrollment of stu- 
dents was 96, of whom 15 were in the theological and 81 
in all the other courses. 

1871-72. 

On September 7. work was resumed: the staff had been 
increased by seven members, Frs. Meinrad Leuthard, Pla- 
cidus Watry, Francis Mershman, Pancratius Maehren, Paul 
Rettenmaier and Aloysius Hermanutz. Fr. Meinrad had 
taken a special course in an Eastern business college and 
now took charge of the commercial class ; Fr. Francis con- 
tinued to teach mathematics, Fr. Pancratius organized a 
class in natural philosophy and fitted up a physical cabinet 
in the stone building, while Frs. Paul and Aloysius con- 
ducted classes in languages. 

Joy and gloom alternated here as they do in the great 
world as well. St. Patrick's day was celebrated with 
speeches and music. In April a bowling alley was instal- 
led for the use of the students. On the 7th of the same 
month the scholastic John Bonne died and was buried on 
the local cemetery. When two days later the namesday of 
the Rt. Rev. Abbot was celebrated, there was no music, in 
token of respect for the memory of the deceased. At the 
entertainment on the feast of St. Rupert, the drama 
"Bishop Paulinus" was performed. 



38 St, John's University 

For the celebration of St. Boniface day, June 5, a grove 
at the eastern end of the lake and for many years there- 
after called Boniface Place, was selected. There, under the 
shade of large oaks rustic tables and benches had been 
set up and there, after the ecclesiastical celebration, the 
day was to be spent in a gleeful picnic. To the disappoint- 
ment of all, a heavy rain marred this feature of the cele- 
bration and the exercises took place in the hall of the new 
(main) building. Addresses were delivered in German by 
Fr. Bernard Locnikar, Fr. Aloysius and Messrs. John Win- 
ter and Frank Schlick and a vocal quartette filled the in- 
tervals with selections. 

"On June 26," says a correspondent of Der Wanderer 
(July 6, 1872), "an exhibition was held at St. John's College. 
Many friends of the institution had appeared to witness 
the closing act. All lived in hopes that it would be a fine 
day, for, it is said, every carriage in St. Cloud had been 
engaged on the day before, but alas! at three o'clock in the 
morning of the 26th it began to thunder, lighten and rain. 
The storm did not interfere with the customary High Mass, 
at which P. Alexius officiated, assisted by P. Valentine 
and P. Bernard. At the end of the service, prospects for 
a pleasant day were still doubtful. What is most surpris- 
ing is that the visitors who had not yet arrived were not 
deterred by the bad weather, but came despite rain and al- 
most impassable roads. About one o'clock p. m. the sky 
grew clear, and the doors of the new exhibition hall were 
thrown open." This new hall was a plain frame structure 
on slightly rising ground northeast of the College, was 110 
ft. long by 30 wide, without any interior finish, but equipped 
with a spacious stage, drop-curtain and scenery. It served 
as an exhibition hall and for other gatherings as late as 
1881 but was torn down in 1892. 

The programme consisted of musical selections, essays, 
a sacred drama-" Joseph in Egypt," the drama "Paulinus, 
Bishop of Nola" (in German) and a farce, "The Natura- 
list." Mas. Herman Erren pronounced the introductory 



St. John's Univeesity 39 

address and Mr. P. Kenny the valedictory. Amonsj the es- 
sayists were Mr. Alexander Christie, the present Archbishop 
of Portland and Mr. Max Wnrst, later rector of St. 
Felix's Chnrch, Wabasha, Minn. 

The catalogue of 1872 records the name of 22 professors 
and 106 students ; of the latter, 20 were in the theological 
course and 86 in all the other courses. No degrees were 
conferred during the year. 

During the vacation which followed, the clerics and scho- 
lastics who remained at the College built a chapel of brick 
on "Doctor's Island," which was henceforth to be called by 
the title of the chapel "Maris Stella." The building 
material was carried to the island on boats: on July 11, at 
four o'clock p. m. the corner stone was placed in position 
by Fr. Vincent and by the end of July the neat structure 
was finished. It was about 16 ft. long by 12 ft. wide, in the 
Gothic style, with ornamental brickwork and a wooden spire 
which was painted white. For some reason the intetior 
was not finished at the time and no services were held in 
it. If it served no other purpose, it lent a soft cha^rm to 
the landscape, as it gleamed from its deep green setting of 
foliage and was mirrored in the calm waters , at its foot.. 
In 1889 a floor was laid in it, the walls were plastered, a 
small altar erected and" several pictures hung. on the. walls. 
Many a stroller on a summer's a:^ternoon fqund his way to. 
the humble, shrine and spent a few moments in devotion 
to Our Lady of the Lake. The chapel was destroyed by 
fire in April 1903. . .r ; . ,. :. - •• ; ; 

P. Alexius Edelbrock was appointed President, ol, the 
College at the opening of the school year. P. ..Wolfgang 
rem ained at the institution for some time after retiring 
from office, continuing to teach music and other branches. , 

Class work was resumed on September 7, but the formal 
opening, reading of the rules,' etc. did not take place before 
the 9th. In the early days of the schoolyear, September 
29, Fr. Simplicius Wimmer and Mr. John Nealis, were or- 
dained priests. Both are now dead: Rev. J. Nealis died in 



40 St. John's University 

1885 and P. Simplicius on August 5, 1905. On September 
30, the students played a match game of base-ball at St. 
Joseph: there is no record of the score. 

On October 3, a solemn Requiem was sung for a deceased 
sodalist and former student, Christian Gassner, who had 
died of small pox at Chicago. The Sodality with pious 
solicitude has never in the long course of years failed to 
afford what solace it could to its deceased members, and 
the above instance is mentioned as typical of its practice 
in this respect. 

It is characteristic of the students of that day that they 
helped themselves and did not like, the redoubtable Cap- 
tain of Plymouth, "leave it to others," even in such an unro- 
mantic enterprise as leveling the campus. They plied the 
shovel and the pick with an energy that stimulated their 
appetite and made them feel proud of their handiwork. 

On October 30 the students offered their congratulations 
to P. Wolfgang on the eve of his namesday Addresses 
were delivered in Latin, German and English. 

For the first time since 1860 the institution mourned the 
loss of one of the members of the faculty. Fr. Edmund 
Schwartz, who had been a member of the Order since 1869 
and had almost finished the studies of the theological 
course, was compelled by ill health to suspend studies. 
During the fall he spent a few weeks visiting his parents 
in La Crosse, Wis. and there he died November 17. The 
interment took place at La Crosse. 

On November 20 Fr. Bernard, although still a cleric 
with Minor Orders, was appointed Vice President of the 
College, which office he held to the end of the academic 
year. 

About this time the St. Vincent extension of the St. Paul 
& Pacific railway line was finished as far as Melrose. The 
line passed through the college lands, within a mile of the 
house, but St. Joseph became and for seven years remained 
the nearest passenger station. It was a great convenience 



St. John's University 41 

in every respect not only for the College but also for the 
missionary priests. 

Early in 1873 the semiannual examinations, which con- 
sumed an entire week, were held. "Six classes — the exami- 
nation of each lasting an hour — were daily disposed of." 
These examinations were public for the greater part, and 
were held in the large study-hall, in the presence of all the 
professors. 

St. Boniface day was celebrated in the grove at Boniface 
Place and no rain came to dampen the pleasure of the oc- 
casion. Adam Steffes was marshal of the feast and 
among the speakers were J. Bassler, N. Steil, M. Wurst 
and Fr. Simplicius. 

June 26 was Exhibition day. The exercises began at 9 
o'clock and lasted almost five hours. There was music, 
vocal and instrumental, followed by addresses, essays and 
orations, besides two plays, "The Ghost," in three acts, and 
"Inigo," a German drama in four acts, after which the 
premiums were distributed. The authoress, "Minnie Mary 
Lee" of Sauk Rapids, a frequent visitor on such occasions, 
wrote a report of the celebration for the iV. W. Chronicle, 
from which a few extracts will not be entirely devoid of in- 
terest: "St. John's, where it is, is a happy surprise," she 
writes. "You may have heard its name called frequently 
— have heard that it was prospering, that it had many 
students — that it was situated some three or four miles from 
St. Joseph, a small town of little note — but you have no 
great expectations about it — the people all around about 
are a farming community, how can anything very aston- 
ishing in the educational line have arisen in their midst? 
Can any good come out of Nazareth? You receive a card 
invitation to the exhibition. You wonder if it is really 
worth your while to go. Were it a hundred miles away, 
you would be more inclined. But right here at home? 
Still, there is so little of other entertainments, and you start. 
It is a fine road leading to St. Joe (from St. Cloud,) through 
fine farms. White houses with green blinds have taken 



42 St. John's University 

the place of many a primitive shanty and log-house. 
Leaving St. Joe, you take the college road which is up and 
down hill through a magnificent forest. The way does 
not seem so long, because it is so unusual a one for our 
State. You admire the tall, graceful trees, as do evidently 
also the squirrels and birds, whose twitter and music fill 
the air. There is a long line of carriages winding over 
hills in front of you and a stream behind as far as you can 
see. Carriages? Most of them are farm wagons, loaded to 
the brim with whole families 

I had thought to tell you something of the exhibition. 
After all, what is in a school or college exhibition that may 
be particularly described? Plays and draaias in English 
and German, well selected and very creditably acted; ora- 
tions in Greek, Latin, French, German and English, and 
oh ! such music, both plaintive and lively, and all sweet and 
beautiful. . . . 

No marvel the Germans turn out in crowds: they are 
proud of St. John's, their sons' Alma Mater. Though they 
may not go elsewhere, save to Mass, for all the year, they 
gather up their children and make the pilgrimage. They 
have something to look forward to and something to 
remember." — And if the exhibitions of those days with all 
the labor they involved brightened for a few hours the lives 
of the good people who came to the college on such occa- 
sions, they had some reason for their being. 

The catalogue, printed by the St. Cloud Press, contains 
few new features. Twenty professors are mentioned on 
the staff, among them Mr. Alexander Christie (now arch- 
bishop of Portland.) The degree of Bachelor of Arts was 
conferred on Frs. Francis Mershman, Aloysius Hermanutz 
and Paul Rettenmaier; eight students took the degree of 
Master of Accounts, which was this year conferred for the 
first ti me. The first graduates of the Commercial class were 
Frank Schlick and William Hamm, of St. Paul, J. J. 
Byrnes, of Faribault, Peter Fehn, of St. Michael, Thos. 
Young, of Arlington, Adam Steffes, of Old Mission, Iowa, 



St. John's University 43 

William Eversmann, cf St. Augusta and Francis Cotter, of 
Winona. On the roll were tlie names of 113 students: 11 
secular seminarians, 16 regular seminarians (clerics) and 
86 students in all other departments — a slight increase 
over the last year. 

1873-74 

P. Bernard Locnikar was succeeded in the vice-presidency 
of the college by P. Ulric Northman, who held the office 
till spring 1885. Gifted with a sympathetic nature. Father 
Ulric won and retained the attachment and esteem of all 
the students year after year. He continued to teach mu- 
sic and developed the musieal organizations to such a de- 
gree of excellence that they received many a word of com- 
mendation from critics. 

So quiet was the course of events during the schoolyear^ 
that chronists found little to note. The few newspaper ar- 
ticles still preserved are accounts of society elections, celebra- 
tions of annual recurrence or an occasional academic ef- 
fort of some aspiring journalist. From this dearth of data 
it may be inferred that everyone was seriously at work at 
the daily tasks in the intellectual workshop. There were, 
of course, the usual quarterly examinations, the vacations, 
the feasts to vary the sameness of schoolroom routine. 

On exhibition day, June 24, about 600 visitors are repor- 
ted to have been present: among them the Revs. Joseph 
Buh, Augustine Wirth, O. S. B., Aloys. Plut and G. 
Koering, and also "Minnie M. Lee,"* who has left us the 



* "Minnie M. Leb" is the pseudonym of Mrs. Julia A. Wood, one 
of the few Catholic writers the Northwest has produced. From a 
sketch written at the time of her death by Mr. H. C. Waite, of St. 
Cloud, and published in the St. Cloud Daily Times March 10, 1903, 
we gather the following biographical data: — Mrs. Wood was born 
April 13. 1825 at New London, N. H. She received a fine literary and 
classical education in the schools of that state and, in 1849, she was 
married to the late W. H. Wood, who died in 1870. With her hus- 
band, she became a resident of Sauk Rapids as early as 1851 and 
continued to reside there to the end of her life. Under the "nom de 
plume" of "Minnie Mary Lee" she assisted her husband in the edito- 



44 St. John's University 

following description: "Koads were fine, air pure, foliage 
fresh and fragrant: St. Joseph was reached shortly— thence 
the road to St. John's winds up hill and down, through 
forest as tall and southern-like, so varied and charming, so 
different from our usual scrub-oak tracts, that one thinks 
it wouldn't matter should it have no end. When, how- 
ever, the blue lake is discerned through the trees and the 
Abbey of St. Louis and the College buildings meet the 
view, one is but glad to alight and look around. Exhibi- 
tion Hall, a building by itself, is constructed in a unique 
and original style, which to be understood needs to be 
seen. 

"The St. John's band has become so famous for its ex- 
cellence that it need not be dwelt upon in praise. Good 
judges who before never listened to it were surprised and 
delighted. The violin performer maybe regarded simply as 
a prodigy: one of those geniuses, which now and then arise 
gifted for astonishing and entertaining us every - day 
mortals. 

''While Norma was being played, a certain lady remarked 
to her husband: 'There, that is the part I never get right.' 
— 'That! You never play that\ was the answer. This sug- 
gested to me that we might all aver of the music generally 
— we never heard that before 

"In the grove ample dinners were served to all. Friends 
held social converse .... Some wandered off to the lake, 
looking out longingly at the gleam of the white chapel 
among the trees on the distant island. Some penetrated 
without leave or license into the pretty garden, where 
flowers in abundance bloomed." 

The closing words of this report recall the garden which 



rial management of the "New Era", a weekly paper published at 
Sauk Rapids. She was also a frequent contributor to magazines and 
wrote a number of books, chiefly of a controversial character, among 
others: "The Heart of Myrrha Lake," "Hubert's Wife," "The Brown 
House of Duffield," "Strayed from the Fold," "Story of Annette." 
She was a convert to Catholicity and always remained ardently 
attached to her faith. She died at St. Raphael's Hospital, St. Cloud, 
March 9, 1903 and was buried at Sauk Rapids. 



St. John's University 45 

lay on the south side of the stone-building and which was 
in charge of the '"old gardner," Anton Schaefer. He raised 
not only garden-truck but bestowed some attention also on 
the cultivation of plums, crabs and grapes. If there were 
any moments of sorrow in his life, it was either when fruits 
refused to grow or when uninvited guests helped them- 
selves under the wings of night. For a quarter of a cen- 
tury he presided over the gai*dens belonging to the Abbey. 
The fine garden of 1874 with its pavilion and its orchard 
disappeared about 1886. The venerable old gardner died 
at St. John's in 1898. 

The catalogue of this year was printed by the St, Cloud 
Journal. For the first time there is mention of a Scienti- 
fic Course, which, however, coincided largely with the Clas- 
sical Course, did not include Latin and Greek and substi- 
tuted the natural sciences. Opportunities were also given 
for the study of telegraphy. The number of professors was 
22. The total attendance of students was 123 — 13 regular 
seminarians, 13 secular seminarians, 97 students in all other 
courses. For the first time, also, there is mention of athle- 
tics, such as boating and base-ball, which will be treated in 
detail elsewhere in this sketch. Only the degree of Master 
of Accounts was conferred this year and the three gradua- 
tes were Jas. Kelly, State senator from 1890-94, Peter 
Engel, the present President of St. John's and Herman 
Erren, who is at present P. Othmar O. S. B. 

The programme for exhibition day was elaborate and 
rather lengthy. About nine o'clock in the morning the 
audience sat down to witness the performance of the five- 
act drama "St. Louis in Chains," which consumed almost 
three hoars in acting. After an hour's intermission for 
dinner, followed five orations and as many pieces of music 
and the celebration closed with the conferring of diplomas 
and awarding of premiums. 

During this year the buildings were increased by the ad- 
dition of a three story wing extending north from the main 
building. 



46 St. John s University 

1874-75 

If the attendance at a school may be considered a gauge 
of its excellence, the authorities had reason to congratulate 
themselves this year. Scarcely had two months passed before 
125 names were on the rolls, and all the departments had 
a very gratifying number in attendance. A correspondent 
to a paper writes in December "that the season just passed 
has been in every respect singularly blessed." From his 
remarks we also learn that Cecilian music was cultivated 
at St. John's at that time. "The music on Christmas, as 
well as on the succeeding feasts, was most select and appro- 
priate and performed in a manner which reflects great cre- 
dit on the members of the choir. Witt's Mass In honorem 
S. Francisci Xaverii was effectively rendered on Christ- 
mas night and Schweitzer's Mass Op. 11 was selected for 
the Grand High Mass which was celebrated the following 
morning." 

In February 1875 news arrived that Abbot Rupert Seiden- 
bush had been selected by the Holy See as Vicar Aposto- 
lic of the newly erected vicariate of Northern Minnesota 
which comprised "all that part of Minnesota lying north 
of the southern line of Travers, Stevens, Pope, Stearns, 
Sherburne, Isanti, and Chisago Counties and that part of 
Dakota east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers and 
north of the southern line of Burleigh, Logan, Lamoure, 
Ransom and Richland Counties." 

Although Abbot Rupert had not been in direct contact 
with the work of the College, he was well known to the 
student body and enjoyed their esteem and veneration. He 
had been witness of their work and spoke many a word of 
paternal encouragement to them. Much as all were proud of 
his elevation they keenly regretted that he was to leave 
St. John's. On May 4 he resigned the abbatial office and 
on May 30 received episcopal consecration in the church of 
the Immaculate Conception, St. Cloud, at the hands of 



St. John's University 47 

Bishop Heiss of La Crosse who was assisted by Bishops 
Louis M. Fink O. S. B. and Joseph Dwenger. 

On the following day these Rt. Rev. prelates and also 
Bishops Mrak and Hennessy and a number of priests who 
had assisted at the consecration ceremonies visited St. 
John's, where they were given a reception and serenade. 

Abbot Rupert Seidenbush was succeeded in office on 
June 2 by P. Alexius Edelbrock, who had been identified 
with the work of the institution since 1867. The second 
Abbot of St. Louis on the Lake had been a student of "old 
St. John's" during the first two years of its existence, had 
fled from Minnesota because his father opposed his in- 
tention of studying for the priesthood, and had entered St. 
Vincent's college in 1859, where he finished the classical 
course and became a member of the Order in 1864. Three 
years later he followed Abbot Rupert to Minnesota and 
since that day had given his best efforts to the promotion 
of the college. Its growth up to this time was in great 
measure due to him and he was no stranger to the task to 
which he was now set. 

On June 24 the commencement exercises took place. 
They were graced by the presence of Bishop Rupert Sei- 
denbush who on the morning of that day for the first time 
administered the sacrament of Confirmation to a class of 
twenty- five students. The exhibition exercises, as in 
the preceding year, occupied a good part of the day. 
A Christian drama: "Sebastian; or the Roman Martyr" 
was performed in the forenoon and after an intermission 
of one hour for dinner followed a programme of music and 
orations, and the distribution of premiums. The degree of 
Master of Arts was conferred on Frs. Francis Mershman 
and Paul Rettenmaier; that of Bachelor of Arts on seven 
and that of Master of Accounts on fifteen candidates. 

The catalogue, printed by the Pioneer Press Co. of St. 
Paul, contained a lithograph of the buildings as they were 
to appear in their finished state. The group standing in 
1875 was to be symmetrically completed by the addition, at 



48 St. John^s Univeesity 

the northern extremity, of a building similar to the stone- 
house at the southern end. Fortunately that plan was never 
carried into execution, Still the lithograph is yaluable and 
does honor to the crayon artist. No photographic view of 
the buildings seems to have been taken before 1881 and no 
reproduction of a photographic view appeared in the cata- 
logues before 1889. 

On the list of professors are seventeen names, with a 
single exception members of the Order. The institution 
was outgrowing the primitive age when it was constrained 
to seek help from the outside. The total enrollment of 
students was 168 — 14 secular seminarians, 16 regulars, 138 
in all other courses. Of the theological students, five were 
ordained during the year. 

From August 5-10 Bishop Seidenbush was at St. John's 
and during that time, for the first time in its history, the 
higher Orders were conferred there. Candidates for Orders 
had hitherto been sent to St. Paul and all, with the excep- 
tion of Fathers Cornelius and Bruno of whom mention was 
made in the opening chapter of this history, were ordained 
by Bishop Grace. It may be added that the Abbots of the 
American congregation of Benedictines are empowered to 
confer the Minor Orders on their own subjects. As Abbot 
Alexius' elevation to the abbatial office had not yet been 
approved by the Holy See (it was approved August 15.) 
Bishop Seidenbush conferred the Minor Orders. On Au- 
gust 5, Frs. Gregory Steil, William Eversmann, Willi brord 
Mahowald and Messrs. William Brockmeyer — who subse- 
quently became a member of the Order as P. Augustine — 
and John Mayer received Minor Orders. On August 6. 
the order of sub-deaconship was conferred on P. Paul 
Rettenmaier, Aloysius Hermanutz, Ignatus Wesseling, 
Bonaventure Schloeter, E. P. Schneider and P. J. Lynch. 
On August 8. the same candidates, together with P. 
Francis Mershman, were ordained deacons, and on Aug. 10. 
P. Ignatius Wesseling, O. S. B., Bonaventure Schloeter, O. 
S. B., and Revs. E. P. Schneider and Patrick J. Lynch 




RT. REV. RUPERT SEIDENBUSH, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 49 

were ordained priests. "The event was a happy one to all 
concerned. On that occasion the esteemed prelate exer- 
cised, for the first time, the high prerogative of his distin- 
guished office, sending Levites to serve at the altar and la- 
borers to work in the Master's Vineyard: the professors 
witnessed with pride and pleasure, the honors conferred 
upon the objects of their long and anxious solicitude and 
regarded the event as the earthly reward of their labors and 
zealous care." 

On Wednesday, August 11, Father Lynch celebrated his 
first Mass in the College chapel. 



CHAPTER III. 

The Second Abbot and President 1875 — 1889. 

1875 - '76 

Abbot Alexius Edelbrock retained the active presidency 
of the College during his entire administration which 
lasted till the end of the year 1889. The character of his 
new work did not permit him to continue on the teaching 
staff. But he kept a watchful eye upon the institution 
and addressed the students a number of times, especially 
when the quarterly or semiannual bulletins were publicly 
read. 

The fourth building was now finished and became the 
quarters of the religious community. A great part of the 
old stone house was taken up by seminarians' rooms, a 
music room and an infirmary; on the first floor of the 
second building were four small class rooms and a lavatory ; 
on the second floor were two study halls; in the attic was 
a dormitory. In the basement of the middle building were 
two jef ectories and the kitchen which supplied both; on 
the first floor were a guest-room, two music rooms, two 
large class-rooms — one of which contained the libraries of 
the Sodality and of the two literary societies; on the second 
floor were the rooms of the principal officials and the 
stationery room; the third floor was a dormitory. 

Large and imposing as the buildings were, the}?- still 
were lacking in many accommodations. No one seemed to 
miss the electric light and elevators, but of a cold winter's 

50 



St. John's University 51 

day the insufficiency of an iron box-stove became apparent. 
Moreover, there were no waterworks; drinking water was 
drawn from a fine well situated about fifty feet west of the 
second building, and water for domestic uses was brought 
in barrels from the lake. The present generation which 
finds every desirable convenience indoors cannot realize 
some of the little hardships incident to student life a quar- 
ter of a century ago. All this was soon to be changed. 

In the main, the order of daily exercises was the same as 
at present. Th© hour of rising was 5 oclock; at 5:30 
morning prayers and Mass, followed by breakfast; recrea- 
tion till 7; studies or classes — one hour each — till 11; 
dinner; a short visit to the chapel; recreation till 1; classes 
till 3: lunch — a slice of dry bread; 4-6 classes; supper; 
recreation till 7:30: studies till 8:30; bed-time. On Sun- 
days the students rose at 5:30, attended High Mass and 
heard a sermon at 6; studies from 10-12; after dinner 
recreation till 2:30; afternoon services; 5-6 religious 
instruction (also on Thursdays). Thursday and Saturday 
afternoons were devoted to recreation, which was inter- 
rupted by studies from 2:30 -3 and from 5-6. 

On entering, the pupil was examined by either the Presi- 
dent or the Vice President and, according to his age or 
attainments, was placed in either the Senior or the Junior 
study-hall. Each of these halls was under supervision of 
a disciplinarian and an assistant. For some time students 
of the advanced courses were employed as assistant dis- 
ciplinarians. 

The formal opening of the schoolyear '76 took place on 
September 10 and a correspondent notes that the church 
choir did itself honor by its execution of one of Schweitzer's 
Masses for four male voices. 

Abbot Alexius was solemnly blessed and installed as 
Abbot on October 24 in St. Cloud, because there was no 
locality at St. John's large enough for such a function. 
Several former students from St. Paul on this occasion pre- 
sented him with a gold chain for his pectoral cross. 



52 St. John's University 

On February 8, 1876 came the saddening news that P. 
Wolfgang, the former President of the College, had suddenly 
died at Meier's Grove. He was born at St. Louis, Mo., 
March 15, 1842, made the simple vows of the Order at St. 
Vincent's, where he had also pursued the classical course, 
in 1860. A few years later he had left for Minnesota, and 
was followed at later periods by his two brothers, P. Ulric 
and P. Bede. Since 1875 he had been employed in the 
missions in the western part of Stearns County. His 
remains were brought to the abbey for burial. On Febru- 
ary 10, after the community had recited the Office of the 
Dead, a solemn Requiem was sung at which P. Ulric, 
brother of the deceased, officiated and a funeral sermon 
was delivered by the Rt. Rev. Abbot. Bishop Seidenbusch, 
officiated at the final ceremonies in the presence of the 
entire community, visiting clergy, and several hundreds of 
former parishioners of P. Wolfgang. His memory is 
revered to this day by all who enjoyed the privilege of his 
acquaintance. 

The annual exhibition took place on June 27 ; the wea- 
ther was pleasant and the audience large. At 10 oclock in 
the morning the academic exercises commenced with a 
production of the historical drama "Major Andre", written 
by the Rev. Leo Haid, O. S. B. of St. Vincent's College — 
now Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina — one of the - most 
engaging pieces ever rendered on the college stage. After 
dinner followed the customary orations and the distribu- 
tion of premiums and award of diplomas. The valedicto- 
rian on this occasion was James Keane — the present 
Bishop of Cheyenne. 

At the grand Centennial celebration held at the fair 
grounds near St. Cloud, on Jul}^ 4, the play above men- 
tioned was reproduced with the full cast of characters and 
enthusiastically received. 

There was a slight decrease in the number of professors 
during this and the preceding year. Only fifteen names 
appear in the list of the faculty, still the course of study 



St. John's University 53 

was in no way curtailed. Degrees conferred: the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts on Fr. Peter Engel, O. S. B., and that 
of Master of Accounts on seven graduates of the Commer- 
cial course. On the list of students were 130 names — 17 
secular seminarians, 14 clerics, and 99 students in all other 
departments. During the year, three of the clerics, Revs. 
Francis Mershman, Paul Rettenmaier and Aloysius Her- 
manutz were ordained priests. 

1876-77 

Bright as the signs for a prosperous future seemed to be 
for some time, the "hard times" which ensued upon the 
grasshopper visit of the Centennial year told upon the at- 
tendance at college, but not to any alarming extent. In 
February '77 a correspondent of the N. W. Chronicle sajs: 
"In spite of the hard times the collegiate attendance is 
very good; the names of 107 students are reported in the 
curriculum." 

In the fall of 1876 the march of improvements was in- 
augurated by the installment of the first system of water 
works; the pump was set up in a small brick building 
which is now a part of the laundry, and from here the 
water was forced up-hill into a reservoir a few yards north 
of the present water tower. From this point, which lies 
higher than the third floor of the college, the water was 
led down into the buildings. The water works were not 
appreciated as a convenient institution only; within a few 
months their necessity became convincingly evident. It 
was at two o'clock in the morning, March 22, that the stu- 
dents were roused from sleep by the noise of hurrying feet 
and cries of "fire". One of the rooms occupied by the 
seminarians in the old stone building was filled with 
smoke. A wild panic followed, excited students began 
pitching books and furniture out of the windows into the 
snow and a few dragged their trunks down stairs. The 
faculty were busy fighting the peril that threatened to rob 



54 St. John's Univeksity 

them of a home. "The fire had progressed considerably 
before it was noticed, but Father UWc (Northman) who 
was one of the first to discover it, quickly got a Babcock 
extinguisher to playing on the flames and with the aid of 
a few of the priests and brothers, who turned on water 
from the new works, soon extinguished the fire. The loss 
will amount to about $200; no insurance. The origin of 
the fire is unknown." So reads a contemporary newspaper 
item. Father Ulric while plying the extinguisher had the 
misfortune to step into a hole in the floor and sustained a 
painful injury. The water supply proved a most welcome 
resource that critical night and demonstrated its utility 
beyond the hint of a doubt. After the fire the seminarians 
were removed from the stone building and quartered in a 
general study room on the second floor of the main build- 
ing, where they remained until 1886. 

In spring Abbot Alexius departed for Europe, where he 
spent several months visiting Germany, France and Italy. 
In June he was in Rome, was admitted, to audience with 
Pius IX and had the pleasure of announcing to his breth- 
ren that the Holy Father sent his blessing both to them 
and the students in their charge. This news was received 
with cheers on the eve of exhibition day. 

The exercises on commencement day were a departure 
from the traditional fashion of celebrating that occasion. 
"At 1:30 p. m. June 27," says a report in Der Wanderer, 
"the students, preceded by the College Band, marched in 
procession to the beautifully decorated exhibition hall. 
They were followed by a great number of visiting friends, 
among others Professors Kiehle and Gray, of the Normal 
School St. Cloud, Prof. Burdick, of the Union school, Sen- 
ator Macdonaid, Hon. L. W. Collins, mayor of St. Cloud, 
hIso Judges McKelvy and Brick, etc." The principal fea- 
ture of the exercises was a debate of the proposition, "That 
savage nations possess a right to the soil." It was con- 
ducted under the auspices of the St. Thomas Literary As- 
sociation. P. Francis Mershman, the President of the 



St. John's University 55 

Association presided, and Revs. Meiniilph and Anthony, 
with Senator Macdonald and Profs. Kiehle and Gray were 
the judges. After a brisk dialectical struggle of about two 
hours, in which the disputants, Peter A. Schreiner, An- 
thony Mayer, J. F. Maloney and T. F. Cunningham re- 
vealed themselves not merely as orators but also as think- 
ers, the judges cast their votes in favor of the negative 
side. So much time was taken up by the debate that part 
of the programme could not be executed. 

The catalogue contains the names of nineteen professors, 
the junior of whom — Mr. John Katzner — is mentioned as 
professor of violin and stenography. This is the first time 
stenography is mentioned in the annual catalogues; the 
system taught was that of Gabelsberger. 

The degree of Master of Accounts was conferred on 
eight graduates. Only 117 students were enrolled during 
this academic year: 84 classical and commercial students, 
18 secular seminarians and 15 clerics of the Order. Seven 
members of the graduating class in the seminary were or- 
dained at various times during the year. 

1877-78 

In addition to the courses already offered at the institu- 
tion, it was deemed expedient to organize a distinct Com- 
mercial course, Many young men in the northern sec- 
tion of the state contemplated embracing a business 
career, but there was no business college conveniently at 
hand. Hence the authorities concluded to meet the de- 
mand by adding this course to the curriculum 

According to the prospectus issued in December 1877, 
students of this course were also permitted to attend cer- 
tain classes in the literary and scientific departments. All 
the studies which contribute to make up a thorough ac- 
countant, were to be taught. The system of instruction 
was to be that in use at prominent business colleges, and 
J. C. Smith's National Accountant was to be the basic 



56 St. John s LTniversity 

text book. The time required for finishing the course was 
to depend entirely upon the student's endowments and 
progress; he might finish it in three months, if his pre- 
paratory studies were good. By paying the tuition fee of 
fifty dollars a scholarship could be procured, which en- 
titled the holder to an unlimited attendance in the classes 
of the department. Students were to be admitted at 
any time of the year, and no vacation given to interrupt 
studies. 

The department occupied the south half of the first floor 
in the first brick building — now the tailor's shop. The 
students of this course attended instructions in this hall 
daily from 8 a. m. till 3 p. m. but spent the remaining hours 
in the general study rooms. The late P. Norbert Hof- 
bauer, a skilled accountant and excellent penman, was the 
first Principal of the department, which was opened after 
the Christmas holidays, early in January 1878. 

Only two events, outside of the customary celebrations, 
are noted for this school year. On March 16 the late Hon. 
Ignatius Donnelly entered his son S. J. Donnelly as a 
student and was induced to address the students and 
faculty. He spoke in his usual eloquent and fascinating 
manner of the services the monastic orders had rendered 
to civilization. 

On June 26, before the commencement exercises P. 
Xavier White, the professor of belles lettres, was given a 
surprise by the pupils of his ciass,who presented him with 
a set of breviaries. 

The commencement exercises were simple in comparison 
to those of former years. Even the debate was omitted 
and only speeches and music filled the programme. Of 
the musical selections none was applauded more than the 
productions of the Haydn String Quartette. An original 
English poem entitled "After the Battle", was read by its 
author, Mr. Richard P. Heffron, subsequently rector of St. 
Paul's Seminary. Bishop Seidenbush presided at the dis- 



St. John's University 57 

tribution of premiums, and a great number of friends of 
the institution witnessed the exercises. 

The catalogue contains besides the usual information, a 
statement concerning the Commercial course. Some of 
the specifications of the prospectus above mentioned were 
modified. Sixteen professors composed the staff of the 
entire institution. In this catalogue also occurs the first 
mention of a Prefect of Studies. The first to hold this 
position was P. Francis Mershman. While the Vice- 
President retained the chief supervision of college work in 
disciplinary matters, it was the duty of the Prefect of 
Studies to examine applicants for entrance, to assign them 
to classes and to superintend the conduct of classes. 

The degree of Master of Arts was conferred on Messrs, 
Jos. Hellrigl and Henry Plaster, and that of Master of 
Accounts on 23 graduates of the new commercial depart- 
ment, the first graduate being John Hoeschen, of Oak 
Station (Freeport), Minn. 

The total attendance was 125: 18 secular seminarians, 12 
clerics, 95 students in all other courses. Twelve members 
of the seminary class were ordained during the year. 

1878-79 

Even the most modest expectations were defeated by the 
poor success of this school year. According to the cata- 
logue, only 94 students were enrolled in all departments — 
of these 18 were seminarians. The hard times were still 
making themselves felt. One cause of the decline in at- 
tendance was the establishment of an academy near Sauk 
Centre, which relied for its patronage on Stearns county. 

The authorities at St. John's hoped that a reduction o^ 
the rate for tuition and board would improve the situation, 
but neither that expedient nor assiduous advertising 
seemed to be of any avail. But where is there a sky with- 
out a cloud ? Every institution reared by the hand of man 
has its vicissitudes; the hour of disappointment is the 



58 St. John's University 

hour for gathering new strength and kindling new hope. 

The staff of professars had sixteen members. One of 
the professors, P. Aloysiiis Hermanutz, in November 1878 
volunteered to serve as a missionary among the Chippewa 
Indians at White Earth, and has labored in that mission 
ever since without interruption. 

On June 1 the Rt. Rev. Abbot conferred on Revs. 
Bernard Locnikar and Francis Mershman the degree of 
Doctor of Divinity, and upon P. Peter Engel that of Doc- 
tor of Philosophy. 

For the final examinations in the several departments 
boards, each composed of three members of the faculty, 
were selected; among these the work of examining all the 
classes was distributed and they finished their task in 
three days. 

June 24 was exhibition day. According to a report ex- 
tant, the weather again worried all concerned, but eventu- 
ally everything was lovely and the great day passed into 
history and lives in memory like a rosy sunset. On the 
programme were speeches and musical selections: R. P. 
Heffron delivered an oration on "Materialism and Modern 
Thought"; there were, moreover, German and Latin ora- 
tions. 

The degree of Master of Accounts was conferred on 12 
candidates. 

In the course of the summer arrangements were com- 
pleted for the establishment of CoUegeville station on the 
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba railway line. A pas- 
senger and freight station house was built in June 1879 
and Mr. Henry Broker, who took up his residence in the 
large frame house on the north side of the track, was the 
first station agent. A new wagon road was cut through 
the woods and thus good old Bro. "Taddy's" daily stage 
trip was shortened five miles. Late in summer CoUege- 
ville post office was opened, with station agent Broker as 
postm.aster. 

For many years the need of an appropriate, commodious 



St. John's Univeksity 59 

cliiircli had been felt, the humble frame chapel was no 
longer worthy of the great pile in the shadow of which it 
stood. Daring the summer of 1879 work on the new 
church was begun; the masonry of the basement was fin- 
ished in fall and on September 24 the cornerstone was laid. 

1879-80 

"It's a long lane that has no turning". Whatever disap- 
pointment was felt during the last year, made way for 
cheerful and renewed effort as the attendance of the new 
scholastic term increased. 

During the winter a minim department was organized 
through the efforts of the Prefect of Studies. The defec- 
tive elementary education of many of the pupils who ap- 
plied for admission to the collegiate departments, rendered 
this step necessary. About fifteen students ranging be- 
tween 10 and 15 years of age formed the first class. 

Considerable sickness prevailed during the latter part of 
1879 and the beginning of 1880; two of the students, J. 
Barthle and J. L. Brousseau died at college. 

In 1880 all the world was celebrating the fourteen hun- 
dreth anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict. The 4th, 
5th and 6th of April of that year were red letter days and 
saw notable gatherings and events at St. John's. A con- 
cise account is given in the catalogue of 1880. "Distin- 
guished visitors graced the celebration. Rt. Eev. Bishop 
Seidenbusch, former superior of the Monastery and Col- 
lege, whose visits are always joyfully greeted, celebrated 
Pontifical Mass, administered Confirmation and conferred 
Minor Orders (on the first day). Rt. Rev. Bishop Marty, 
the zealous Vicar Apostolic of Dakota, officiated on the 
second day of the Triduum and preached a touching ser- 
mon to an appreciative and delighted audience. The 
laity was ably represented by Hon. H. C, Waite, a distin- 
guished convert to Catholicity, whose pleasing and instruc- 
tive lecture was the prominent feature of an afternoon 



60 St. John's Univeesity 

seance". On the last named occasion the college choir 
sang the jubilee song, the text of which was written by 
P. Xavier White and the music by P. UJric Northman. A 
centennial ode, also written by P. Xavier, was delivered 
by one of the students. It is one of the few poetic efforts 
traceable to that estimable and gifted professor, and was 
assigned a place of honor in the catalogue. His dignified 
diction and power of description are well illustrated in 

these lines: 

'Tis eastern brethren sing the song 

That time through distance doth prolong, 

That echoes through this western 'sphere, 

And mingles with our matins here. 

It bears its onward course amain; 

The east will hear the glad refrain, 

And then attune their evening prayer 

To our exultant matin air; 

For ere Cassino chant her evening lays 

Back shall resound our songs of praise, 

Till brethren with united voice 
" In one grand harmony rejoice. 
After the celebration, the Rt. Rev. Abbot set out for 
Europe a second time, to attend the festivities at the tomb 
of St. Benedict at Monte Cassino, and did not return be- 
fore August. He was accompanied by P. Peter Engel, 
then professor of Philosophy and Chemistry. This sug- 
gests the fact that about this time Father Peter began ex- 
perimenting in photography. The primitive studio he 
fitted up, developed into a gallery of respectable dimensions 
in a short time and became a permanent institution. At 
first the studio occupied a corner in the chemieal labora- 
tory and pictures were taken under Minnesota skylight, 
with scenery such as only the Author of the universe can 
paint, as background. For some time the gallery found 
shelter in a wing of the old frame house, was next trans- 
ferred to the fourth floor of the new college buildings and 
finally was given fine quarters in the third floor of the 
library building. 

The schoolyear closed on June 24th with very simple 



St. John's University 61 

exercises; there was music, a salutatory, a valedictory, 
several orations and the distribution of premiums. For 
the first time in the history of the college a gold medal 
was awarded; it was the gift of Rev. C. V. Gamache and 
George Doerenkaemper was the fortunate captor. 

In all, 14i students were enrolled this year: 14 secular 
and 15 regular seminarians and 116 students in. all the 
other departments. 

The old lithograph picture of the buildings was replaced 
by a double-page engraving from a sketch by Fr. Urban 
Fisher, then professor of drawing. It was a birdseye view 
from the northeast and comprised a goodly piece of coun- 
try. In the foreground is the new church, in the distance 
to the right are the new shops and other buildings, and 
near the lake shore, the laundry, which was built in 1878. 

1880-81 

Towards the end of August the institution received a 
visit from the distinguished author and professor, Dr. 
Herman Zschokke, chaplain to the Austrian imperial court 
and subsequently rector of the University of Vienna. He 
perpetuated the memory of that visit in a series of sketches 
entitled "Nach Nord Amerika und Canada". How deeply 
he was impressed with the scenery here, is revealed by the 
following paragraph (translated): '"On the other shore 
of the lake there stands surrounded by trees a small chapel 
— Stella Maris — built by the students in honor of the 
Mother of God. It was a sunset picture so exquisite, that 
one could not imagine anything more perfect. The sun, 
which had just disappeared below the horizon, poured a 
flood of orange-hued light over the western sky; the placid 
lake caught and mirrored the glorious light which trans- 
figured the thick foliage of the forest; from its height 
the abbey looked calmly upon the scene; and when finally 
the bell sounded the Ave Maria and its voice was wafted 
over the quiet, peaceful landscape, finding many an echo 



62 St. John's Univeesity 

in the woods, I found myself transported in spirit back 
into the early centuries, when the sons of St. Benedict 
penetrated with holy zeal into the wilderness, cut down 
forests, founded monasteries, enkindled everywhere the 
light of faith and gave Europe civilization", (p. 501.) 

Up to this time the public prints had little to say of the 
college: several times a year they were furnished with ela- 
borate reports of festivities, but of the doings in student 
circles in the class room and on the campus, scant reports 
found their way into publicity. P. Xavier was the first to 
venture to supply the press, particularly that in the imme- 
diate neighborhood, with college news. His reports enable 
the chronicler to present in closer detail the events of the 
time. 

The winter of 1880-81 was severe; for three days in Feb- 
ruary the college was effectually cut off from the rest of 
the world, trains were snow-bound for three days and no 
mail could be delivered. 

A list of pupils who merited first or second class honors 
at the fisrt term examinations was inserted in the Times 
and Der Wanderer. From this time forward such lists 
appeared regularly and served to stimulate the ambition 
of the students. The attendance was very gratifying and 
the reporter notes that in January "a lot of new furniture, 
desks, chairs, bedsteads, etc., were brought up from the 
depot. The institution is filling to its utmost capacity 
and the voice is 'still they come'." Shortly after he ob- 
serves: "Among the students we find the following na- 
tionalities: Russian, Dutch, French, Irish, German and 
American. 'Wise men from every nation'." The Com- 
mercial graduates generally received a word of commenda- 
tion and encouragement and the efforts of the orators were 
rewarded by the insertion of their papers in the Times. 
Thus the late Rev. Henry McGolrick's discourse on "The 
Existence of God," was printed in full, occupying about 
three columns of the paper; and about the same time ap- 
peared Fr. Urban's excellent essay, "Physiological Proofs 



St. John's University 63 

of tlie Unity of the Human Species". When the class in 
civil engioeering had spent a day in the field ascertaining 
the height of a certain hill and grading a road through it, 
they found this humorous write-up about themselves: 
*'They worked more lively than older hands and with won- 
drous exactitude. After three hours out-door work they 
returned very civil engineers, and with remarkable dexter- 
ity found the level of a heap of edibles in a very practical 
way". On another occasion "Messrs. Lawler and Doeren- 
kaemper gave an exemplification of the old proverb — 
errare humanum est. They were working a lunar and could 
not agree in the result. When the fray was at its hottest. 
Master Flock explained: 'Grentlemen, neither of you is far 
astray. One has the true altitude of the orb; the other, 
calculating parallax, has taken the shadow of the old man's 
beard as he sat on the edge of the disc making his toilet 
and using the Atlantic for a mirror'." 

In the meantime the new church building was progress- 
ing rapidly, despite numerous delays. During June the 
brick work of the towers was completed. 

May 22nd was the 25th anniversary of the advent of the 
Benedictines in Minnesota, but the celebration of the 
event was postponed to some more favorable time, chiefly 
because the church was not finished. 

The closing exercises on June 22nd were witnessed by a 
remarkably large gathering of clergymen, both Benedic- 
tines and secular. The chief feature was a debate of the 
question, "Can the United States bo properly called a 
Catholic country?" A reporter of the exercises to the 
Pioneer Press observes: "This was one of St. John's best 
commencements; not because of tinselled brilliancy — of 
that there was none — but becuuse of solid work well done 
and plainly evidenced. The number of graduates was 
large and they well deserved the distinctions received. 
All the speeches were original — written by the pupils — 
and though none were of the brilliant st5de of eloquence, 



64 St. John's University 

all were far above the medium — replete with solid thought, 
conveyed in clear, forcible language." 

The annual catalogue states that the classical course was 
extended to six years, instead of five; the first class in 
philosophy was detached from the ecclesiastical course and 
added to the classical course. 

In the ecclesiastical course there were 25 students, of 
these seven were ordained in course of the year. All the 
other departments had an attendance of 133, — total 158. 
The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy was conferred this 
year for the first time; there were 6 candidates; the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts was conferred on 2 graduates and that 
of Master of Accounts on 25. Two gold medals were 
awarded: one, for excellence in Christian Doctrine, the 
gift of Bishop Seidenbush, the other for general profi- 
ciency, the gift of Rev. O.V. G-amache. These prizes were 
taken by Greo. Doerenkaemper and Henry Flock. 

1881-82 

When the doors were thrown open for admission of the 
silver jubilee class in September, only 60 students report- 
ed and work was promptly begun. On the staff of profes- 
sors were P. Ulric Northman, the Vice-President; Fathers 
Norbert Hof bauer, Peter Engel, Francis Mershman, An- 
thony Kapser, Simplicius Wimmer, Vincent Schiffrer, 
Othmar Erren, Xavier White, John Katzner and the 
clerics Frs. Alfred Mayer, Jerome Heider, Thomas Bor- 
gerding, Conrad Glatzmaier, Urban Fisher, Placidus Win- 
gerter, Wolfgang Steinkogler, Alexius Hoffmann, Chrysos- 
tom Schreiner, Lawrence Steinkogler, James Capellen and 
Timothy Vaeth. 

On the second day of the schoolyear, September 9, the 
Rev. Director of the Sodality, P. Francis, celebrated a Re- 
quiem for the repose of the soul of Rev. J. Breunig, '79, 
who died of consumption at Sheboygan, Wis., on Septem- 
ber 1. 



St. John's University 65 

Less than two weeks after the opening of the school 
year, 85 students were enrolled and fears for an un- 
successful year were quickly dispelled. P. Leo Winter 
organized a singing society. "The boys take to it like 
kittens to milk,'' says the Times correspondent. LTnfor- 
tunately, P. Leo was shortly after assigned to parish 
work and interest in the glee club flagged. 

The new church was slowly approaching completion: 
early in October work was begun on the steeples and the 
roof was covered with tin. Since the middle of July two 
of the basement chapels were in use, but owing to the 
distance of the chapels from the college building then in 
use, the students continued attending the frame chapel. 

A class in practical short-hand reporting was organized 
by Fr. Urban, who himself was an expert reporter, and 
the first impulse was given to the introduction of phon- 
ography into the commercial class. Also a class in 
practical astronomy was formed, despite the lack of ap- 
propriate instruments. Nor was the campus desolate; 
there is record of a game of base ball between the classics 
and the theologians which "went hard against the classics", 
score 9 — 0. Here is the comment of a reporter: ""Otium 
cum dignitate is the time to which the theologians play 
base ball, but 9 — is that to which the poor classics 'hold 
it down.' And worse than all, the theologians took the 
new ball. Classics, you are good players in some bam 
yard with a yarn ball." Early in the winter a movement 
in favor of military drill was inaugurated. A company 
of about 40 was formed and under command of Capt. Jos. 
Langan began operations. They did not succeed in 
securing arms and uniforms and in consequence the 
company was disbanded in the winter. 

An epidemic of small pox prevailed in the neighborhood 
during the winter. Sorrow and death reigned under 
many a roof. The priests in the stricken places made 
heroic efforts to bar the progress of the disease and their 



66 St. John's University 

efforts were recognized by the State Board of Healtli. 
Only one priest fell a victim to the duties of his callings 
P. Meinrad Leuthard, O. S. B., pastor at Melrose. He 
contracted the disease while attending to a member of his 
congregation and died November 28, 1881. He had been 
a student and professor at St. John's and was universally 
esteemed for his great piety and seriousness. In the 
midst of this visitation, the college remained unscathed. 
Dr. He wit, secretary of the State Board of Health, made 
an examination of a great number of institutions includ- 
ing St. John's, in November. He found no trace of the 
disease here and complimented the students upon their 
fine condition, ''The only disease the doctor found," 
says a reporter to the Chronicle, "was consumption of 
edibles which prevails to such an extent as to keep the 
cook and kitchen force working like hatters. The Doctor 
left a certificate with the Abbot to the effect that he 
found no other disease in the house." Fifteen years later 
the situation was more serious. 

Skating was exceptionally fine this winter: several 
hundred acres of skating rink is a privilege not accorded 
to the students of every year and so the best was made of 
the present opportunity. Those who would not trust 
themselves to the smooth surface and shining steel, re- 
mained on solid earth and kicked foot-ball, then a very 
simple game. There was no association, no gridiron, no 
rooting. When winter set in, it was customary to take up 
a collection for a foot-ball. Sides were chosen for every 
game; one man was placed to watch the "barrier" or goal, 
while the rest strove to kick the ball through the goal of 
the opposing side. Victory came to the best kickers and 
runners. 

After the Christmas holidays, a number of new students 
were registered. Room was growing scarce, and furniture 
running short, the carpenters were ordered to make new 
desks for the study halls and class rooms. "During Holy 



St. John's University 67 

Week the chapel was full at every service. Few of the 
pupils being absent on vacation it was made a point to 
carry out the ceremonies of the season strictly in com- 
pliance with the rubrics." Easter was the end of the 
second term for quarterly bulletins for some time. 

"To thank Almighty God for his merciful preservation 
from contagion during the late epidemic, a solemn High 
Mass was celebrated on Saturday (April 22) in the 
monastery church. Every member of the house felt him- 
self obliged to this grateful act for while all around, and 
even near by, many were stricken with the plague, houses 
were quarantined and much suffering and inconvenience 
followed, not a single case of sickness appeared among 
the two hundred inmates of St. John's. So marked a 
protection could not fail to make a strong and lasting im- 
pression," 

Once in a long while a news correspondent would 
chronicle the vagaries of the weather, which then as now 
fascinated and eluded a large school of prophets. Says 
one: "Just so, but who'd have thought of it? On the 
21st of May, 1882 snow and hail! Cattle are under the 
sheds, birds sit on the leeward branches to avoid being 
blown away." In general the summer was pleasant, as 
is shown by the numerous visitors who came to spend an 
afternoon fishing at the college lake." 

The commencement services were held June 27 ; besides 
the usual formal salutatory and valedictory addresses and 
music there were two orations by graduates, an impromptu 
address by Col. S. J. Ahern of St. Paul and an address 
to the graduates by Hon. H. C. Waite. The latter was a 
very elaborate discourse worked out in scholarly style and 
fraught with many practical counsels, deductions from the 
experiences of a long and worthy life. Taking leave of 
his audience he said: "Forward, never backward; no 
delay stations on the road: no side issues to swerve you 
from the one sole purpose you have in view. Onward and 



B8 St. John's Univeesity 

ever onward until the goal is reached. Such is the course 
of the truly successful man. In so going you may not 
always win the applause of j^our contemporaries, but the 
final judgment will be in your favor. In this brave task 
you have set before you of living and being, you have 
already acquired many accomplishments. Still the 
greater task is before you. I would suggest no dis- 
couragements; these will come soon enough. I prefer 
to address myself to the splendor of your oppor- 
tunities. For myself I can say, I do love to live and enter 
into the constitution of the world's progress. I rejoice in 
such occasions as these, where young men emerge from 
the requirements of school discipline and take upon them- 
selves the manly duties of independent living. Let your 
attendance here never bring reproach upon the institution 
when in afterlife you have become merged in industrial 
or professional pursuits. Look back to her as a foster 
mother and extend to her that consideration she has so 
bountifully extended to you. Protect the reputation of 
the institution you have assisted in making and when you 
go hence, go forth bravely, boldly and wisely to your life 
tasks. As students, I bid you good afternoon, but as 
young men just leaving school and entering upon the 
active duties of life, I say, good morning." 

According to the catalogue the number of professors 
was 22 and the total student attendance 159 — 22 being 
seminarians and 137 students in all the other courses. 
The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy was conferred on 
2 candidates, that of Master of Accounts on 35, and three 
gold medals were awarded. 

On July 25 nine graduates of the seminary were raised 
to the holy priesthood by Bishop Seidenbush in the base- 
ment chapel of the new church. "This was the largest 
number of priests ever ordained at one. time in Minnesota 
and it brings the number of priests ordained from this 
house up to 98; of this number 41 belong to the Benedic- 



Si\ Johns's University 69 

tine Order, the remaining 57 are seculars, who in 12 
different dioceses are laboring in the vineyard of tlie Lord 
with credit to themselves and to their Alma Mater." The 
nine newly ordained were Revs. Martin Schmitt, Alfred 
Mayer, Conrad G-latzmaier, Urban Fischer, all Benedict- 
ines, and Revs. George Gaskell, Christopher Murjjhy, 
Gregor}^ Goebel, Patrick Boland and Nicholas Schmitz, 
secular clergymen. In the afternoon of the same day, 
about 4 o'clock, a severe storm passed over the house, 
causing great fear and excitement. Everything mov able 
was carried before the wind. A part of the tin roofing of 
the church was carried off and the rain which came with 
the storm poured through the ceiling and somewhat 
damaged the plastering. 

1882-83 

"Lonesome vacation days are gone and now again 
sleeping echoes waken in glad response to the merry 
shouts of joyous innocence, again the hnm of busy 

workers drawing lore from leaves that speak 

A ramble through the campus shows many old and many 
new faces, but many old ones, too, are missing. But 
whence these new ones? Here are Minnesota's represen- 
tatives in miniature and members from Dakota side by 
side with those who represent Illinois. Wisconsin and 
Iowa. Standing Rock and Fargo, Moorhead and Duluth, 
with many intervening posts, send in representatives 
from the North. Then from the South come Iowa City, 
Madison, St. Paul, the Mill city with the long name, St. 
Cloud and Stearns generally. Various as are the places, 
as various are the faces, one thing is common to all — a 
desire to be learned, useful men.*' Thus the local re- 
porter sketches the opening days of the fall term. Events 
ran along "so quietly that one would not find out, without 
trying, that an army of students is posted in the estab- 
lishment. The fact is, business is being pushed on so 



70 St. John's University 

lively that no one has time to be noisy or mischievous." 
October 24th was the day appointed for the consecra- 
tion of the new church. A great number of clergy and 
other friends, of the institution had assembled to witness 
the ceremonies, which began at 7 a. m. Bishop Seiden- 
bush was the principal oflSciating prelate: he consecrated 
the church and the high altar and celebrated pontifical 
High Mass. The two side altars were consecrated at the 
same time by the late Abbot Boniface Wimmer and 
Abbot Innocent Wolf. A discourse was delivered in 
English by Rt. Eev. John Ireland, then coadjutor to the 
bishop of St. Paul and one in German by Rev. Dr. Otto 
Zardetti. On the same occasion the silver jubilee of the 
arrival of the first Benedictines in Minnesota was cele- 
brated and the first Alumni Association organized of 
which more extensive mention shall be made in another 
chapter. 

Towards the end of November, 25 were in the com- 
mercial class. During the month the college band played 
at the church fair in St. Cloud and executed a small 
musical program at the college on St. Cecilia's day. 

On December 16, before sunrise, the saw and grist 
mills on the Watab were burnt to the ground together 
with a considerable quantity of grain and timber. Since 
that time no effort has been made to rebuild the mills, 
but the dam remains and the boisterous waters rush down 
the rocks as they did a quarter of a century ago. 

Among the visitors at St.John's in the fall was the late 
Rev. Dr. Joseph Joerger, whose notes of travel over the 
nom de plume of Socius Fidelis were in their day read 
with great avidity. In his recollections of St. John's 
he writes: "/Si monumentum requiris, circumspicef 
(If you seek for a monument look about you) is said of 
the builder of St. Paul's in London. This monastery 
and church also are such a monumentum aere perennius. 
A part of the buildings is occupied by St. John's College, 



St. John's University 71 

of which the Kt. Rev. Abbot is the President, assisted 
by P. Ulric Northman as vice-gerent and a staff of 
twenty professors. I shall never forget the genial 
hospitality of Fathers Othmar Erren, Xavier White and 
John Katzner. I will make no special mention of P. 
Ulric, for my love for him is as powerful as his size, 
sex cubitorum et palmae.^^ 

Of the buildings occupied by the community in the 
farm up to 1867, only a two story loghouse was left on the 
spot; this structure was wiped out by fire on January 18, 
1883. 

On the feast of St. Scholastica, P. Placidus Wingerter 
who had been one of the disciplinarians for two years 
past,celebrated his First Holy Mass in the new church. It 
was the first event of this kind in the new church. At a 
later hour in the day the students met in one of the class 
rooms, where they delivered congratulatory addresses to 
the new priest and offered him a valuable present. 

Since February of this year the institution bears the 
legal style and title of "St. John's University". A bill for 
ah act amendatory of the original charter was submitted 
to the State legislature by Senator H. C. Waite, passed 
by both houses and api^roved by the Governor February 
17th. The document may be found in the Special Laws 
of Minnesota, chap. 85, p. 223 and reads: 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota; 

Section 1. That the act entitled an act to incorporate 
the St. John's Seminary, approved March sixth (6th), 
one thousand eight hundred a fifty-seven (1857), as well 
as the several acts amendatory thereof, and the title to the 
original act of incorporation, be and the same are hereby 
amended as follows: 

That wherever the word ''seminary" occurs in either 
thereof, the same be stricken out and the word "univer- 
sity" be substituted in lieu thereof. 

Section 2. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent 



72 St. John's University 

with this act be and the same are hereby repealed. 

Section 3. This act shall take effect and be in force 
from and after its passage. 

On March 9th, P. Peter Engel was appointed Prefect 
of Studies, which office he held until June 1895. 

June 26 was Commencement day. A number of friends 
of the institution, especially Alumni who had come to 
hold their first annual meeting, witnessed the exercises^ 
which were not of an elaborate character. 

From the catalogue we learn that the baccalaureate in 
philosophy vas conferred on 4 graduates, and the degree 
of M. A. on 17. Five gold and one silver medal were 
awarded. 163 students were enrolled: 16 seminarians and 
147 in all other departments. 

During the summer excavations were made for the 
foundation of the new college buildings — one, 160X60, 
was to be an en tension of the main building, another, 
110X60 was to be attached to the church; both to run 
parallel and to be joined at their western extremity by a 
wing 100X50. The corner stone, a huge boulder, was 
placed in position August 22nd. 

1883-84 

Class work was resumed September 5th, and the at- 
tendance was flattering. Few events worthy of notice 
outside of the everyday occurrences, are at the disposal 
of the chronicler. A visitor in January 1884 reports: 
"A stately structure presenting 370 ft. front and a church 
that rivals the largest and most beautiful in the state, 
compose the present University buildings. But even 
this structure, large as it is, does not furnish the needed 
room, hence the foundations are laid and already raised 
one story high for other buildings whose entire length is 
300 ft. and width 60 ft. Since 1870, when the first annual 
catalogue was issued, 1113 names are on the roll and this 
is for but one half of the years of the institution. The 




RT. REV. ALEXIUS EDELBROCK, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 78 

'anmial' of this year will contain about 200 names. Of 
the entire number since 1870 there Lave been 108 
ordained to the priesthood and 237 have received di- 
plomas and degrees in the arts and sciences," 

Early in 1884 a figure familiar to the students of several 
years disappeared — that of the "old general." His name 
was Koronikolski. His conversation showed that he 
had enjoyed an excellent classical education. According 
to his own story he had been an officer in the army in 
Poland, had taken part in some insurrection and been 
compelled to flee. For many years he lived a solitary 
life in the woods beyond the Watab, was extremely poor 
and at the time of his death occupied a small room in the 
frame building, where one of the Brothers waited upon 
him. 

When the Easter class bulletins were issued, it was 
stated that the attendance exceeded that of any previous 
year. In the papers appeared a list of all those who had 
merited an average note of 75% in all their classes. 

The scholastic year closed on June 25. At 7 a. m. the 
faculty, students and invited guests assembled in the hall, 
and after an opening selection by the Band, the Vice 
President read the final bulletins. The address to the 
graduates was delivered by Hon. J. W. Arctander, District 
Attorney of the twelfth judicial district of Minnesota. 
He began by relating the story of Aladdin's lamp. "The 
old rusty copper lamp," said he, "according to my inter- 
pretation is knowledge. A person seeking knowledge 
meets with difficulties, as Aladdin did when sent for the 
lamp. The boy rubs against the lamp, that was his 
will power. This produced talent that conquered all other 
forces. Aladdin was sent to bring an old rusty copper 
lamp. To him it was a lamp and nothing more, he did 
not appreciate its worth. So too with a boy in search of 
knowledge. To him many branches of learning appear to 
be taught but to tease or plague; but this is a mistaken 



74 St. John's University 

view, for every branch taught is a step forward, yes, every 
problem that you solve, every old classical author you 
lay aside, you pass another milestone, and every milestone 
that you pass brings you nearer and nearer to your des- 
tination." His ringing eloquence brought out round 
after round of applause. This was not the only occasion 
on which Mr. Arctander addressed the students; his 
services at the institution as a lecturer will be duly re- 
corded in the course of these annals. 

The staff of professors according to the catalogue con- 
sisted of 23 members, the total enrollment of students was 
203; 23 seminarians and 180 students in the other de- 
partments. The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy was 
conferred on 2 graduates, that of M. A. on 23. Five 
medals of gold and one of silver were awarded. 

1884-85 

The frequency with which applications were made for 
the admission of very young students and the advisability 
of separating them as much as possible from older 
students both in class rooms and during recreation in- 
duced the authorities to establish a special Minim De- 
partment. It was organized and directed by P. Chrys- 
ostom and proved to be a very useful and timely institu- 
tion. 

Only 93 students reported for the resumption of classes. 
Towards the end of October a number of photographs 
were taken of the students and faculty to be sent to the 
World's Cotton and Industrial exposition at New Orleans. 
In the middle of November the institution was honored 
with a visit of Senator McKenzie of Bismarck, Dakota . 
The college Band tendered him a serenade. 

A contemporary report mentions religious devotions 
which tradition has hallowed, namely the novena before 
the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Forty 
Hours devotion. The influence of religion as an educa- 



St. Johns University 75 

tional factor can not be overestimated; nothing is more 
necessary or more valuable, particularly to youths, whose 
souls are so susceptible, so easily led and impressed, so 
easily decoyed by false principles and deceitful ambitions. 
But for the purifying and elevating influences of religion 
and its practices many a young man would have cast his 
earlier convictions overboard and drifted out into the 
darkness of indifference. This is why religious practices 
have always been given much prominence at St. John's. 

When Abbot Alexius returned from the Third Plenary 
Council of Baltimore in December, the members of the 
Fourth Latin class publicly presented a program, consisting 
of latin dialogues and selections from classical authors, 
before the faculty and students of the classical course. 

In the first days of 1885 the Industrial school for Chip- 
pewa Indian boys was organized in the stone-house; fifty 
pupils formed the first class, in charge of P. Chrysostom, 
assisted by Fr. Meinrad and Bro. Philip. Part of the 
quarters occupied by the students was turned over to the 
Industrial school; still no crowding ensued and there was 
consolation in the prospect that the new buildings could 
soon be occupied. 

Music was, according to an extant report, diligently 
cultivated, "four professors give instruction in music, and 
5 pianos, 2 organs, flutes, violins, guitars and citherns are 
in service". 

Shortly after the organization of the Industrial School. 
Father Aloysius, O. S. B., the missionary in charge at 
White Earth, came to see the institution. On the Sunday 
following his arrival he preached a sermon in the Chip- 
pewa tongue in which he had acquired considerable 
fluency in the six years of his sojourn on the Reservation. 
In the afternoon a delegation of students called upon him 
and invited him to deliver a lecture on the Indian mission 
at White Earth. Although he was fatigued by his long 
journey, he granted their request and for nearly an hour 



76 St. John's University 

dwelt upon the scenes of mission life, spicing his remarks 
with anecdotes and vivid descriptions. 

Crimes and misdemeanors were hitherto such unmean- 
ing terms in Gollegeville that when one day in the last 
week of January it was reported that burglars had entered 
the laundry at night, and had maliciously and stealthily 
appropriated one clock, three colored handkerchiefs and 
ten shirts, all students stood aghast. A reward of $25 
was offered for the detection of the thief. One gentleman 
with a Sherlock Holmes eye took note that the footprints 
were made by a No. 9 boot, and that the individual was 
accompanied by a dog. The guilty party was dis- 
covered some time after and together with his family 
sought a home in some other clime. 

On the evening of March 19, the members of the 
Fourth Latin class again invited faculty and students to 
witness a "Ludus theatralis", a Latin drama entitled 
"St. Stanislaus Kostka". Thirteen pupils were engaged 
in the play and Father John wrote the incidental music. 
Class room No. 2 was the hall employed for the occasion. 

Father Urban about this time was busy arranging a 
mineralogical collection of several hundred specimens. 
A large number of beautiful petrifactions from the Bad 
Lands was presented to the cabinet by Father Martin, 
O. S. B., then pastor of Mandan, Dak. 

At the approach of the Easter holidays, the press cor- 
respondent wrote: "Students at the University say 
'thrice a year comes judgment day'. The second of these 
awe-inspiring occasions has just passed and now each 
traveler up the mount of science knows just how he stands 
in the eyes of alma mater and with the faculty. To 
obtain in all classes an average note of 75% out of a 
possible 100 requires diligent application and no small 

amount of intellectual ability." 

P. Chrysostom Schreiner, who had, since his entrance 
into the Benedictine order, served at St. John's in the 



St. John^s Univeksity 77 

t^apacity of a professor, prefect of the seminary and for 
some time as director of the Industrial school, wasa ppoint- 
ed successor to P. Ulric in the vice presidency of the 
University on April 16th. P. Chrysostom was well ac- 
quainted with the ground he was to tread and set-to work 
energetically. P, Ulric continued to teach music and 
never, to the day of his death five years later, lost the 
esteem of a wide circle of friends. 

After the ice had disappeared from the lake on April 21, 
provisions were made for enjoying the summer. Three new 
boats were launched; the largest of the group called the 
British Isles was turned into a miniature park and a 
small pavilioQ set in its midst. It was a favorite resort for 
several years and an ideal spot to while away a free after- 
noon over a book. During the month the Band gave 
several gondola and lawn concerts after supper. 

One evening in that month of June, says a diary, a 
cyclone formed in the heavens to the east. All watched 
it with some consternation, but the threatening peril was 
broken up by the wind. Coming events cast their 
shadows before them. 

At the annual commencement on June 25th, Hon. H. 
O. Waite read an original poem. The degree of Ph. B. 
was conferred on 5 graduates, that of M. A. on 17 and the 
honorary degree of LL. D. on Hon. H. C. Waite, J. W. 
Arctander and E. H. Morse. Twelve medals were award- 
ed. Enrollment: 18 seminarians, 161 students in all other 
departments, total 179. At the end of the catalogue was 
a card of thanks for donations to the museum; the donors 
were Bishop Seidenbush, Fathers Martin, Aloysius and 
Pancratius, Rev. F. X. Schulac, S. J., Mrs. Gannon of 
Bismarck, D. T. and Mr. F. J. Rothpletz, Red Lake Falls, 
Minn. 

In the early days of vacation the institution was honored 
with visits by the late bishops F. X. Krautbauer of Green 
Bay and J. B. Brondel of Helena, Mont. The former had 



78 St. John's University 

come upon invitation of Bishop Seidenbush, who was 
abroad for his health, to hold the animal ordination ser- 
vices at St. John's. 

Father Chrysostom, with the assistance of a few boys 
who remained at the college during vacation, renovated the 
Stella Maris chapel and replaced the old spire which was 
falling to pieces, with a new one. 

1885—86 

The fall term which opened on September 3, found 80 
names on the rolls. Room was growing scarce and all 
were anxiously looking for the completion of the new^ 
buildings. One of the pleasing occurrences of the first 
month was a visit from Bishop Seidenbush, who had just 
returned from the East after a serious and protracted illness. 

On October 15, Mr. J. W. Arctander opened the lecture 
course by a lecture on '^Sketches o( Everyday Life in Im- 
perial Rome" for the special benefit of the classical stu- 
dents. In the commercial class a series of lectures was 
also arranged; they were delivered during the winter 
months, being inaugurated by Judge L. W. Collins of St. 
Cloud, on November 4th. He delivered four lectures and 
was followed in January by Judge D. B. Searle. who de- 
livered an equal number. Both these gentlemen, who 
enjoy a distinguished reputation in legal circles, have 
many claims upon the gratitude of the faculty and stu- 
dents, not only of '86 but of many following years. 

The last celebration of a public nature held in the old 
buildings was that of tenth anniversary of Abbot Alexius' 
installment into office. The exercises which consisted of 
music, songs and speeches by several of the professors, 
were conducted in the Senior study-hall. 

On All Souls' Day the students walked in procession to 
the cemetery as they had been wont to do in years past. 
Never has this venerable tradition been lost sight of. 
Several days later the news arrived of the death of Joseph 



St. John's University 79 

Weisser, of St. Cloud, a brother of P. Otto Weisser. The 
former had pursued the classical course of study with a 
view of entering the Benedictine Order. Towards the end 
of his course he was compelled to discontinue; unmis- 
takable signs of consumption showed themselves and he 
was soon at death's door. Nevertheless he desired to be- 
come a member of the Order and his prayer for admission 
was granted. He was invested with the habit on August 
13, was given the religious name of Fr. Athanasius and 
made the vows of the Order: on November 5th he passed 
to a better life. He was buried in the abbey cemetery and 
many of his former classmates attended the funeral cere- 
monies. 

An elaborate series of entertainments was given on 
Thanksgiving Day under the auspices of the Alexian Dra- 
matic and Philharmonic Associations, both of which had 
just come into existence and were displaying astounding 
vitality. On the evening of November 25, the eve of 
Thanksgiving, a German farce, "Doctor Wunderlich," set 
the audience in good humor for the efforts of the next day. 
On the 26th there was a second entertainment, the prin- 
cipal feature of which was a dramatic performance, "The 
Elder Brother." The orchestra made its first appearance 
on this occasion; among its members was Mr. Max Dick, 
whose solos were much admired and who has since charmed 
many audiences from the eastern to the western coast. 
The exercises were held in the first floor of the north 
wing, now the Commercial Hall. 

On January 6th 175 students were reported in attend- 
ance; For a moment the authorities were perplexed, but 
the question was solved by establishing a temporary study 
hall on the third floor of the monastery building. Only 
the most sedate gentlemen from the Senior hall were trans- 
ferred to these new quarters, which by their envious fel- 
lows were contemptuously denominated the Dudes' De- 
partment. 



80 St. John's University 

At the opening of the second session, in February, the 
Commercial Department was transferred to the third floor 
of the new extension of the main building. It was a proud 
hall 90 ft. long and 25 ft. wide, on the south side of the 
corridor, and in later years was cut up into a number of 
small apartQients for the seminarians. At the same time 
a hall of almost equal size on the second floor of the exten- 
sion was fitted up as a dormitory for the smaller students. 

Another entertainment was offered on Washington's 
Birthday in presence of many friends of the institution. 
At 2 p. m. "the Elder Brother" passed over the boards a 
second time, and it was followed by a German sketch ''Aug 
Haendel's Jugend." The several acts were interspersed 
with numbers by the band and orchestra, instrumental 
solos on the violin, cithern and flute, and vocal selections. 
Hon. H. 0. Waite and Hon. J. L. Wilson, of St. Cloud, 
delivered brief addresses at the conclusion of the exercises. 

A few days later, March 5, there was an eclipse of the 
sun; the people of Minnesota had been told all about it in 
advance by one Severinus J. Corrigan, of W^ashington, D. C. 
Who is Corrigan? Years ago, as early as '68 he was a stu- 
dent at St. John's; next he betook himself to the study of 
law, then turned to the physical sciences, which he studied 
for six years, became assistant in the office of the Ameri- 
can Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, bureau of Naviga- 
tion, U. S. Navj' Dept.; made special studies in electrical 
science and wrote several monographs and a number of 
professional papers of original research in astronomy and 
physics.* For the last two decades Mr. Corrigan has lost 
few opportunities to enlighten his fellow citizens on extra- 
ordinary celestial phenomena through the daily press of 
St. Paul, where he made his permanent residence about 
1884. His reports could not only claim scientific accuracy 
but were written in a very popular, attractive style. Speak- 
ing, for instance, of the eclipse of March 5th, he says: "At 

* Who's Who in America 1901-02. 



St. John's University 81 

the time of greatest obscuration the sun will be nearly in 
the horizon and sunset will intervene before the end of 
the eclipse, which will therefore not be visible at St. Paul 
but only farther to the west. Now altho' nature, deeming 
probably that St. Paul has had a surfeit of spectacular 
entertainment of late, will thus ring down the curtain be- 
fore the end of the performance, the following diagram 
will furnish a view of the phenomenon from beginning to 
end; and in the event of cloudy skies, which are very likely 
to interfere, these diagrams may have to take the place of 
the actual spectacle." 

April 14th will for generations be a memorable day for 
Stearns county, for on that day a cyclone dealt desolation 
and death to St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids. It was a dark 
day at St. John's and a heavy rain poured down after the 
storm had passed by. Two days later services were held 
for the victims of the disaster among whom was Mr. Juene- 
mann, father of Fr. Demetrius. 

On April 23 the venerable Father Clement Staub, who 
had acquired a wide-spread reputation as a physician, died 
at St. Joseph, Minn, and was buried among his brethren 
at the monastery. 

On June 20th, P. Stephen Koefler, O. S. B., who had 
been ordained on the 14th of the same month, celebrated 
his First Holy Mass in the college chapel. The following 
day, June 21. was devoted to the commencement exer- 
cises which consisted simply of the distribution of prem- 
iums. On June 22nd, the second general meeting of the 
Alumni was held and the boys of '86 had an opportunity 
to meet representative students of former school years. 
After the banquet which was held in the present exhibi- 
tion hall, the degrees and prizes were awarded to the out- 
going class. The degree of Ph. B. was conferred on 5 gra- 
duates: that of M. A. on 30: that of Ph. D. on Rev. Chry- 
sostom Schreiner and that of Doctor of Philology on 
Rev. Urban Fischer. The honorary degree of LL. D. was 



82 St. John^s Fniveesitt 

conferred on Judge L. W. Collins and Hon. D. B. Searle^. 
of St. Cloud. Gold and silver medals to the number of 12 
were awarded in various classes. On the roll of students' 
were 215 names — 22 seminarians and 193 in all other de- 
partments. All signs for a bright future were favorable. 
During vacation the north and west wings of. the new 
addition were prepared for occupancy. 

1886-87 

Luckily for the chronicler, there is extant in the cata- 
logue of 1886-87 a condensed history of that school year. 
It covers only two pages in print but omits nothing that is 
worthy of mention. Being the first production of itskindy 
it shall be here reprinted in its entirety: 

September 7. Students are arriving with every train and there will 
be life in the camp from date. 

September 8. The school term began this morning. Solemn High 
Mass was celebrated by the Rev, Vice President before class hours. 

In the basement of the north wing a spacious play hall, 60x80, has 
been arranged and furnished with a first class bowling-alley running 
the full length of the hall. Turning poles, vaulting-bars and other 
gymnastical apparatus will follow. 

Beside the usual Quarterly Bulletins, monthly Conduct Bulletins 
will be published and read. 

October 24, Father Cyrill, 0. S. B., one of the Professors and Mr, 
John Sroka were ordained priests at St. Cloud by Rt. Rev. Bishop 
Seidenbush. 

November 13. Forty Hours Devotion commenced to-day and closed 
on the 15th. 

November 23. The new University buildings were solemnly dedi- 
cated by the Rt. Rev. Pres't. Abbot Alexius Edelbrock. About 35 
priests were present at the solemnity. The blessing took place after 
Pontifical High-Mass sung by the Rt. Rev. Abbot. In the afternoon 
an entertainment was given by the Dramatical and Musical Associa- 
tions. "The Runaways" and the "Victim of Friendship" were the two 
dramatic pieces produced. On invitation the pupils of the Industrial 
School contributed materially to the entertainment. 

November 25. Thanksgiving-Day was observed by a High-Mass at 
7 o'clock. In the afternoon a concert was given by the dramatical 
and musical Associations. 

December. Owing to the extraordinary amount of snow there is 



St. John's Univeesity 83 

"Very little skating this winter. 

December 18. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Martin Marty, O. S. B„ D. D., 
■of the Vicariate Apostolic of Dakota, is the guest of the University 
to-day. At the Students' Mass this morning he conferred Minor 
Orders on Messrs. Jas. A. Durward and Charles F. Robinson. 

December 19. Rt. Rev. Bishop Marty preached a very eloquent 
sermon in the Students' Chapel, and departed from the University in 
the afternoon. 

December 22. First reading of Quarterly Class Bulletins. 

December 25. The students who spent the Christmas holidays at 
the University were not forgotten. A stately Christmas tree in the 
Commercial Hall had gifts for every one of them. 

1887-January 5, Classes were resumed. 

January 18. A solemn Requiem for the late James McMaster, 
Editor of the New York Freeman's Journal and the most distin- 
guished Catholic American journalist, who died Deo. 28, 1886, was ce- 
lebrated in the Students' Chapel. 

January 26, The Rev, Vice President's namesday. Appropriate 
addresses were read by the students and the University Band fur- 
nished choice musical numbers. 

February 17. Hon, D. B. Searle LL, D., delivered his first lecture 
on Contracts before the Commercial Class. 

February 22. Washington's Birthday, — the great national holiday 
and college freeday was enthusiastically celebrated. In the after- 
noon an entertainment, complimentary to the Rt. Rev. President, 
who returned from the East on the day previous, was given by the 
Alexian Dramatic and Musical Associations. The two short comedies, 
"Master Goat" and "Der gescheidte Damian" caused great merri- 
ment and a never ending applause was accorded the Juvenile Orch- 
estra of 14 pieces, which furnished some very enjoyable music. 

Pour brilliant, red-light tableaux, representing leading events of 
Washington's career, terminated the concert. 

March 12. Two pool-tables were put up in the play hall for the use 
of students during recreation hours. 

March 21. Feast of St. Benedict. This day being the greatest 
feast of the Benedictine Order was appropriately celebrated by a 
Solemn Pontifical High Mass, the Rt. Rev. Abbot officiating. 

April 5. Beginning of the Easter holidays. Quite a number of 
students will spend the latter part of Holy Week at their homes. 

The reading of the Quarterly Class Bulletins took place. 

April 10. Easter Day. At Solemn Pontifical High Mass celebrated 
by the Rt. Rev. President, the following Rev. PF. made solemn vows 
for the Benedictine Order: Oswald Baran, Prefect of the Junior De- 



84 St. John's University 

partment, Meinrad Rettenmaier, Superintendent of the Industrial 
School, Henry Borgerding, Prefect of the Commercial Department 
and Ambrose Rank, O. S. B. 

April 11. Revs. Oswald, Meinrad, Henry, Ambrose and Messrs. Dan 
Lynch and Pat. Gary were ordained Sub-deacons by Rt. Rev. Bishop 
Seidenbusch, at St. Cloud, and B. Sproll received Minor Orders. 

April 12. Revs. Meinrad, Ambrose, Henry, Pat. Cary and Dan 
Lynch were ordained Deacons and Mr. B. Sproll Sub-deacon. 

Father Benedict Haindl, 0. 8. B., a member of St. John's Abbey 
and the first who received the habit of the Benedictine Order in the 
United States, died yesterday morning at St. Benedict's Priory, St. 
Paul, Minn. He was born August 10, 1815, was ordained priest 
April 20, 1849, entered upon missionary labors in Minnesota April 11, 
1857. He had consequently worked 38 years in his holy and noble 
calling. 

The corpse was brought to the Monastery for interment. All the 
students attended the funeral services. 

April 17. Revs. Isidore Siegler and Henry Borgerding, O. S. B., 
both Prefects in the University, were ordained priests to-day. 

April 19. In testimony of the great honor conferred on their supe- 
riors, the students presented the newly ordained priests with valu- 
able homiletical works. 

April 24, Father Isidore Siegler celebrated his First Holy Mass at 
the University Church, at which all the students assisted. Father 
Henry Borgerding celebrated his First Holy Mass at Freeport, Minn. 

April 25. Judge L. W. Collins, LL. D., delivered his last lecture 
on Commercial Paper. 

May 1. This was a free-day for the students and it is superfluous 
to add that they enjoyed it. 

May 2. The boats, having been painted and repaired, were laun- 
ched. Fishing is the most popular sport this season. 

May 22. Rt. Rev. Bishop Seidenbusch administered the Sacrament 
of Confirmation here to-day. 

May 25. The Juniors had a May-party on Doctor's Island, 

May 26. The boys enjoyed the first swim of the season. In the 
evening the University Band, assisted by the Vocal Music Class gave 
an open air concert. 

There is little to add. Early in June a set of stage 
sceneries and a drop curtain painted in Chicago, arrived 
and was mounted for the approaching closing exercises on 
June 22nd. For ouce the play was again resorted to as 
the most attractive feature of the exercises. Cardinal 



St. John s University 85 

Wiseman's "The Hidden Gem," a favorite on Catholic 
■stages, was excellently played. 

Eleven medals were awarded, and the degree of M. A, 
<;onferred on 16 graduates of the commercial course. 179 
students were enrolled — of these 27 were seminarians and 
152 in all other departments. No doubt, the number was 
disappointing, in view of the fact that powerful efforts had 
been made to fit up accommodations for a class nearly 
twice as large. In the basement of the north wing which 
adjoins the church at the rear, was the play-hall ; on the 
second, the Senior hall, above this the exhibition hall. 
The wing running north and south contained a dining 
room and lavatories, class rooms, music rooms and a dor- 
mitory, while the extension of the main building contained 
rooms for the faculty and guests. All the rooms were 
bright and airy and a vast improvement upon the earlier 
quarters. 

1887-88 

More than one hundred students were registered during 
the first week after the opening of school in September, 
For Thanksgiving day a musical and dramatical entertain- 
ment was prepared. It was held at 2 o'clock in the afternoon 
and was witnessed by a number of people from St. Cloud. 
The plays produced were "The Photograph," a bit of 
humor, and the three act drama "The Proscribed Heir." 
As usual, the Band and Orchestra supplied fine music, 
overtures, operatic selections, marches etc.; the former 
organization had, at the time 20 members, and the latter 17. 

Early in December two Remington typewriting ma- 
chines were installed for the benefit of commercial students 
and thus the foundation was laid for cultivating a branch of 
study much in demand. At first the instruments were not 
much patronized, but with the growing popularity of 
phonography the number of applicants for instruction on 
the typewriter also grew. 



86 St. John's University 

On December 8 the sad news of the death of the vener- 
able arch-abbot Boniface Wimmer of St. Vincent's abbey 
arrived. But few there were who remembered how thirty- 
years earlier he had visited this region to observe the 
growth of the shoot he had planted in the shade of the 
western forests. He had labored long and patiently, com- 
batted difficulties to which many another person would 
have succumbed and laid his weary head to rest confident 
that his fourscore years had been well spent. 

In the middle of December circulars were sent to alumni 
and friends of the institution, apprising them of the con- 
templated establishment of a college journal to be known 
as "The St. John's University Record." It was to serve 
as a medium of communication between the institution 
and former students, and a publication in which the stu- 
dents might make their maiden attempts at journalism. 
The Alexian Literary Association under direction of P. 
Chrysostom undertook to launch the enterprise. A suf- 
ficiently large subscription list was guaranteed in a short 
time and towards the end of January 1888 the first number 
of the "Record" appeared. 

It was a 12-page quarto, running three columns to the 
page, was printed on slightly tinted paper and a credit to 
its printers, the St. Cloud Daily Times, who printed all 
the monthly issues of the "Record." The publication con- 
tained, after a prefatory observation, essays on "Economy" 
a biographical sketch of Pope Leo XIII. an obituary of 
the late archabbot Boniface Wimmer, an historical essay 
on Leif Ericsson and an article oq "The Country of the 
Midnight Sun." In the editorial columns a tribute is 
paid to the memory of archabbot Wimmer, and nearly a 
column is devoted to a review of a book "How to improve 
Memory." Incidentally the editor apologizes for the absence 
of poetry from the issue and holds himself excused on the 
plea that he has "not yet engaged a poet to do the rhymes 
for the Eecord, and the depressed condition of the mercury 



St. John's University 87 

during the last four weeks has probably dampened the 
rising, ready rhymes of the traditional spring poet." Next 
followed a page of local items — the field from which tbe 
historian must chiefly garner his information for the 
next two decades. A page was given to former students; 
this was followed by book reviews; a list of Honorable 
Mention — which from that time made its appearance 
regularly every month. Page 10 was taken up by a batch 
of scientific notes, and a Sioux legend; pages 11 and 12 by 
anecdotes and advertisements. Among the first adver- 
tisers were H. C.Metzl, the jeweler, Dr. C. C. Rosenkranz, 
the dentist, Fandel & Nugent, of the Empire Store and 
Jos. Edelbrock of St. Cloud; D. O'Halloran, book dealer 
and Stierle's Pharmacy, St- Paul; Brown & Haywood of 
Minneapolis, B. Herder of St. Louis, Mrs. F. Bernick 
and St. Benedict's Academy, of St. Joseph. 

The "Record" came to stay and both contributors and 
subscribers made its stay possible. Like many other jour- 
nals, it gradually discovered that quarto was not a con- 
venient size; accordingly it was reduced to octavo in 1891, 
and in that size has come down to this day. The subscrip- 
tion price of $1.00 placed it within easy reach of every 
graduate. Frank Schaller, '68, be it said to his credit, was 
the first subscriber. 

That January was a cold, cold month; the mercury slip- 
ped down to — 38° on the 15th, there was such a heavy 
snowfall that no trains passed Collegeville from the 11th 
to the 14th and the boys had not enjoyed one day of skat- 
ing since the beginning of winter. Indoors, the Ajax 
athletic club was cultivating the art of boxing and other 
gymnastical exercises. This club which had for its motto 
"No mouthing: all training," was organized under the pre- 
sidency of P. F. McDonough, but did not live long enough 
to secure recognition in the annual catalogue. 

A pleasant event was the celebration of the Rev. Vice 
President's namesday on January 27th, the feast of St. 



S8 St. John's University 

Chrysostom. The Record describes it as follows: "In the 
afternoon preceding the feast the several Departments pre- 
sented their congratulations. The University Band, in 
the meantime rendered some of its best numbers. The 
Juniors substantiated their felicitations by a splendid pair 
of slippers and an autograph album in which each of them 
had inscribed some appropriate good wish. The Senior 
and Commercial departments had combined to donate 
something worth while, but their plans were waylaid by 
the deceitful freightcar, which failed to bring the present 
until the next day. The surprise was then rushed upon 
the Rev. Vice President. In an appropriate address the 
spokesman y Mas. F. Bernicky presented, in the name of 
all the student's, a valuable secretary. On the morning of 
the 27th a Solemn High Mass was sung by Rev. F, Chry- 
sostom, after which the joys of the free-day were indulged 
in." 

Then followed the semi-annual examinations,which were 
conducted by several boards of examiners who visited the 
various classes. 200 students were in attendance on Feb- 
ruary 1. 

Washington's Birthday was celebratedby an entertain- 
ment given by the Alexian Dramatic Association. A one 
act drama, "King Alfred" was presented. Among the 
musical selections were the "American Overture," Recol- 
lections of the War" and "Flowers of St. Petersburg 
Waltzes." 

On March 7, the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron 
of Christian schools, was celebrated for the first time by a 
literary and musical entertainment. "The sacred drama 
'Joseph in Egypt,' was rendered with such excellence and 
feeling that it drew tears from many of the audience." 
All the critics ventured to say in print, was that the cos- 
tumes "had not quite as much of the ancient 'cut. fold and 
lay,' as they might have had." Mr. Joseph Langen, of the 
Seminary, delivered au essay on "St. Thomas, the Theo- 




Rev. Cornelius Wittmann, O. S. B. 
Rev. Ulric Northman, O. S B. 



Rev. Wolfgang Northman, O. S. B. 
Rev Chrysostom Schreiner, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 89 

logian;" Mr. Ambrose McNulty, of the Seminary, dis- 
coursed upon "St. Thomas, the Philosopher" and Mas Geo. 
Bahner described "St. Thomas at School." 

Judges Collins ond Searle again favored the Commer- 
cial class with a series of lectures during the spring. 

Spring was late in arriving, the snow w^as loath to go, 
the ice did not disappear before April 25th and the base- 
ball teams were growing restive. May found all recon- 
ciled to the climate, so much so that a local poet, who 
wrote anonymously, ind ulged in such strains as the follow- 
ing: 

Come let us away while the weather is gay, 

And our boat is again on the shore, 
We'll row o'er the lake some pleasure to take, 

And think of the days of yore, — 
Those days when as boys our hearts full of joj'^s, 

Our lines in the water we pass, 
And rowed right along to the tune of light song 

As we hauled in the pickerel and bass. 

A local reporter notes several improvements, such as the 
renovation of the cupola on the main buildings and the 
conversion of Boniface Place into a park. 

During the first week in June the Ancient Order of Hi- 
bernians were holding their State convention at St. Cloud. 
Pursuant to an invitation from the Rev. Vice President, 
the delegates visited the institution in a body on June 6th. 
They were entertained at luncheon in the University din- 
ing room, where a number of speeches were delivered by 
the visitors and several members of the faculty. 

On commencement day, June 21, Rev. Gerard Spiel, 
mann, O. S. B., celebrated his First Holy Mass in the 
college chapel. At 8 o'clock the distribution of premiums 
took place. No programme of exercises had been issued. 
There were very few visitors present and hence the cele- 
bration was a very quiet one. 



90 St. John's University 

Eleven gold medals and one silver medal were awarded, 
22 graduates received the title of M. A. and one that of 
Ph. B. The total enrollment for the year was 224 — 28 
seminarians and 196 in all other departments. A zinc- 
etching, reproduced from a photographof the buildings, 
adorned the catalogue. 

1888-89 

During vacation a force of steam-fitters began work at 
installing the heating plant in the buildings. A power 
house 50X50 was built some 400 feet west of the buildings : 
in it were placed five large boilers and a pump. A supply 
main ran from the boiler house to the main buildings and 
connected with an enormous net-work of pipes which were 
to carry the steam to every part of the buildings. Three 
months were consumed in the work, and on October 17th 
the efficiency of the plant was tested. The day of the stove 
was over and the horrors of winter lost their edge. In his 
glee the Record poet burst forth into these strains: 

Let old Boreas come forth from his cave in the North, 

And rage in his terrible wrath, 
Over hill and o'er dale till the forest doth wail, 

At the blight he leaves in his path. 
We heed not his blast howe'er angry 'tis cast, 

It brings us not suffering or sorrow 
Ten fires glow red and steam's at full head, 

From these our comfort we borrow. 

On Thanksgiving day the Rev. Vice-President celebrated 
a solemn High Mass, and delivered a short exhortation. In 
the afternoon the literary societies gave a short entertain- 
ment, to the success of which the musicians contributed in 
no small measure. Mr. A. L. McNulty was the orator of 
the day: his address was followed by a comical sketch 
"Wanted: a Confidential Clerk." The entertainment was 
largely enjoyed by all, "even by Jonathan Dobbs," says the 
Recordf "who sees in it a vindication of the old proverb: 
"All work and no play makes John a dull boy." 



St. John s University 91 

A dreary winter followed: the spirit of sport could not 
be roused. "What's the matter with football?" queried 
the local reporter. "The meagre remnants of what once 
was an enthusiastic crowd are a sad spectacle on the campus. 
What a lonesome life must be that of a football — no one 
to love him, no one even to kick him!" It is unnecessary 
to state that the Juniors found ample resources for fun in 
their toboggan slides. 

On January 22 a printing outfit, consisting of three 
I^resses, a complete set of book and job type, paper-knife 
and other requisites of a printery, once owned by the de- 
funct St. Cloud Tribune, was purchased and set up in the 
first floor of the southeast wing. From this office the 
Record was issued since February 1889, although it cost 
many a patient struggle, such as only an an amateur prin- 
ter can realize, before satisfactory work could be turned 
out. Owing to the lack of a sufficient quantity of book type, 
the February issue was printed almost entirely in bour- 
geois, and poorly at that, for the ink refused to flow. Seve- 
ral fonts of long-primer came in time for theMarch number. 
Among the notable contributions to the Record was a 
series of articles on "The First Beginnings of St. John's 
Abbey" from the pen of Rev. Bruno R,iss, O. S. B., one of 
the three pioneer Benedictines of Minnesota. 

The St. Boniface Literary Association took in hand the 
celebration of Washington's birthday and presented the 
German comedy "Trau, Schau, Wem," in five acts. 

As early as March 28th every sign of ice had disappeared 
from the lake, and shortly the boating clubs fell to organi- 
zing. Some improvements had been made in the environs 
of the campus : there was, for instance, the rustic bridge 
over the narrow entrance to Caesar's Bay, which tempted 
a poetaster into writing a parody on Longfellow's well- 
known poem. 

April 28 witnessed a base-ball game on the college dia- 
mond between the University and the St. Cloud team: "the 



92 St. John's University 

students lost the game: score, 7-15. The reporter thinks 
the wind was too high and the umpire's dicta arbitrary. 
Nevertheless he could not forbear counselling the home 
team to do a little more practicing and a little less — (talk- 
ing, probably) if they wished to invert that score." 

On April 30 the institution celebrated the centennial of 
President Washington's first inauguration. Many visitors 
from St. Cloud came to witness the exercises. The drama- 
tic society presented the play "Under a Cloud;" an agree- 
able feature of the program was a vocal solo by Mr. George 
M. Schutz, 85, who has since scored many artistic triumphs 
between Minnesota and the Pacific coast. 

May day was almost disfigured by an attempt at a snow- 
storm in the forenoon, but the clouds passed away and 
mild sunshine caressed the tiny buds on trees and shrub. 
At noon arrived His Grace Archbishop John Ireland, of 
St. Paul, accompanied by his secretary. Rev. John Shan- 
ley, '69. Upon invitation, Archbishop Ireland addressed 
the students on the importance of study as a preparation 
for life. It ought not only be the student's aspiration to 
become a learned man but also a good man. He encour- 
aged them in eloquent and earnest words to come to the 
front and to be ready as Catholics to stand in the first 
ranks in every movement for the good of society and reli- 
gion. Father Shanley fell into a reminiscent mood and 
charmed his audience by his humorous and graphic pic- 
tures of the past at St. John's. 

During the summer the lake flotilla was increased by the 
addition of the sailboat "A. O. Gilman," which was capable 
of carrying from 15-20 persons. It had been the property 
of the late Dr. Gilman of St. Cloud and did service on the 
college lake for several years. It was a favorite excursion 
boat. 

On June 2nd the fourteenth anniversary of the election 
of Abbot Alexius was celebrated. The main feature was 
an entertainment in the evening by the St. Boniface L. A. 



St. Johns's UxVIversity 93 

supported by the Band. A two act comedy: "Three Thou- 
sand Marks" was thoroughly enjoyed and Mr. A, L. Mc- 
Nulty delivered an address of congratulation to which the 
Rt. Rev. President responded. It was his last address to 
the students of St. Johus. 

Oq June 13th the Rt. Rev, Abbot, accompanied by the 
Rev. Vice President, P. Chrysostom, left St. John's for 
Europe. P. Alexius Hoffmann was appointed to fill the 
office of vice president temporarily. The remaining days 
of the schoolyear were very unpleasant. Two of the 
students who were recovering from an attack of the meas- 
les suffered a relapse; early in the morning of June 14 
one of them, George L. Hutchins, of Kingston, Minn, 
died, and at 8 oclock in the evening of June 15th Leo Dit- 
ter, of Ditter P. O, Minn, passed away. Closing day was 
almost a week distant bat upon the advice of physicians 
and in view of the fact that there were no other cases of 
sickness in the college at the time, it was decided to close 
on the 17th, Accordingly the medals and premiums were 
distributed on the morning of that day and the students 
were dismissed in the afternoon. 

The twenty-second annual catalogue was printed by the 
Record press and cannot be said to represent first class 
workmanship. On the list of professors were 20 names, 
besides 3 lecturers on Commercial Law. The roll of 
students contained 24 names of seminarians, and 185 in all 
other departments — total 209. Eleven gold medals and 
one silver medal were awarded. 20 graduates received the 
degree of M. A. 



CHAPTER IV. 
The Administkation of Abbot Bernard Locnikar, 

1890-94. 



1889-90 



During the vacation mouths the few students whose 
privilege it was to remain at the institution were not 
allowed to indulge in the unprofitable afnusementof doing 
nothing, but were set to work a few hours every day im- 
proving the "park", as the peninsula known as Boniface 
Point came to be called. The heavy undergrowth and 
shrubbery was cut out, roads made, the bridge repaired and 
the old band-pavilion that stood in the rear of the exhibi- 
tion hall removed to a prominent place at the Point. In 
this way the playgrounds were extended and a pleasant 
resort created for those who relished a walk in the shade 
of the summer foliage. 

Students of the 80's will remember how they were not 
only roused from their slumbers by the brazen sound of a 
large hand-bell, but how that instrument was also employed 
to announce study time and give the signal for the open- 
ing of classes and other exercises. The electric age had 
dawned and to keep abreast of the times a set of electric 
call-bells was installed, which connected the Prefect's desk 
with every part of the vast buildings. 

History moved on smoothly and quietly; classes were 
organized, the literary societieties went to work unusually 
early, several games of base ball were played, the strum m- 

94 



St. John's University 95 

ing of a banjo and a mandoline were added to the varieties 
of music already at hand, and the chemistry class was so 
enthusiastic at its experiments that on one occasion "the 
entire building from turret to foundation stone was filled 
with the consequences". 

Upon the erection of the diocese of St. Cloud and after 
the resignation of the late Bishop Seidenbush, who had 
presided over Northern Minnesota in the capacity of a 
Vicar Apostolic, Dr. Otto Zardetti was appointed as the 
first incumbent of the new see. He received the episcopal 
consecration at the venerable Benedictine monastery of 
Eiusiedeln, in Switzerland, on October 20. (1889). Towards 
the end of November he arrived in St. Cloud and was the 
guest of St. John's on Thanksgiving day, the 28th of that 
month. For this purpose the interior of the buildings had 
been profusely decorated and no pains had been spared to 
offer the new prelate a reception worthy of his dignity. 
At the ecclesiastical functions on Thanksgiving day he 
occtipied the throne in the sanctuary and at the conclusion 
of the services he delivered a brief but eloquent address. 
He also assisted at the musical and theatrical performances 
which had been prepared to grace the occasion. The mem- 
bers of the St. Boniface Literary Association presented a 
five act drama, entitled "Kronen und Palmen". Bishop 
Zardetti never lost an opportunity during the four years 
of his administration of the see of St. Cloud to visit St. 
John's on festival occasions and his eloquent addresses, 
which revealed a rare degree of scholarship, never failed to 
impress the student body. 

Shortly before Thanksgiving day Father Chrysostom 
had returned from his European trip and resumed the 
duties of the office of vice-president. In December came 
the news of the resignation of Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, 
who had administered a burdensome and responsible office 
fourteen years. About a month later death removed from 
the scene one of the most familiar faces at the institution. 



96 St. John's UNivEssiTr 

— Father Ulric Northman, the former vice-president, who 
departed this life after a brief illness on Jan. 21, 1890, 
His demise was deeply regretted by a wide circle of friends 
and many expressions of sympathy were received at the 
institution. For a little more than two decades he had 
without interruption been connected with the college as a 
teacher of mu&ic and other branches and for ten years had 
been vice-president. 

An attractive feature of the winter evenings was a series 
of lectures on Rome, Egypt and the Holy Land, illus- 
trated by stereopticon views. A fine lantern was pur- 
chased and Father Chrysostom, who had just returned 
from a visit to these countries, spoke interestingly of 
those historic places. 

Early in April Father Bernard Locnikar, then pastor of 
the church of the Assumption in St. Paul, was elected 
vicar of the monastic chapter; on May 7. following he was 
elected abbot, in which capacity he was also to be presi- 
dent of the University. In the evening of the day of his 
election, the students prepared an enthusiastic reception 
for him and greeted him with speeches and music. The 
new abbot had been vice-president of the college during 
the school-year of 1873, after his ordination to the priest- 
hood had been promoted to several monastic offices, in- 
cluding that of prior, but, owing to feeble health, had 
begged to be relieved and assigned work in the mission. 
Since 1879 he had been stationed in St. Paul, first as an 
assistant and since 1888 as pastor. The approval of his 
election was received from Rome on Aug. 2. and on the 27. 
of the same month he was solemnly installed as the third 
abbot of St. John's. Abbot Bernard was a holy priest and 
a scholarly gentleman, whose erudition won him the 
respect and admiration of the clergy in the Northwest. In 
the administration of his new duties his connection with 
student affairs was necessarily very slight; still the gentle- 
ness of his character and his deep piety could not fail to 



St. John's University 97 

impress more profoundly than eloquent words. 

In the course of the summer a number of improvements 
were made: new bath rooms were fitted up, extensive and 
substantial stabling built. During summer vacation the 
"water tower", which contains a steel tank with a capacity 
of about 2800 bbls, Vvas built and the steeple of Stella 
Maris chapel repaired. While a force were busily at work 
making the island "a thing of beauty and an abode of de- 
light" a very sad accident happened. On the 3. of July, 
at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, Pr. Anselm Bartholmy, one 
of the prefects of the Junior department lost his life while 
carrying sod in a boat to the island. Owing either to the 
weight of the sod or to some unforeseen leak in the boat,it 
sank and Fr. Anselm was drowned The body was re- 
covered next day. 

The closing exercises of the scholastic year were of the 
simplest character and consisted merely of the award of 
class honors and a brief address to the outgoing class. 
Twelve medals were awarded and the degree of Master of 
Accounts conferred on 24 graduates. The total enroll- 
ment of students was 172 — 19 being seminarians, and 158 
in all other departments. 

1890-91 

The change of administration caused practically no 
changes in the faculty of the University, except the 
reappointment of P. Norbert as principal of the Commer- 
cial department. P. Jerome, the late principal, was as- 
signed missionary work. 

For several years the lack of appropriate astronomical 
instruments had been severely felt. The faculty realized 
that now the time had come to provide the class with a 
suitable observatory and outfit. In the fall a small obser- 
vatory was constructed on the top of the water tower and 
in February, 1891, a telescope was installed. It was an 
equatorial, having a four inch achromatic object glass of 



98 St. John'^s University 

rare excellence. The mounting, made by Fauth & Co.,. 
Washington, D. C, was provided with right ascension and 
declination circles graduated into degrees and minutes, 
with verniers, with clamps and tangent screws for slow 
motion. A driving-clock was connected with the polar 
axis, by means of which any celestiaJ object could be kept 
in the field of view for hours without any attention on the 
part of the observer. Four eye-pieces of different magnify- 
ing powers completed the outfit. Time proved that the 
location w?s unsuitable for such a delicate instrument; but 
for four years this lofty perch remained the conning tower 
of the local astronomers until through the efforts of the 
present abbot, then professor of astronomy, the present 
commodious quarters were secured. 

On Thanksgiving day Bishop Zardetti honored the insti- 
tution with his presence at the entertainment which was 
prepared by the dramatic and musical associations. The 
play performed was "The Proscribed Heir"; the music was 
— ^^nusually good and Mr. J. C. MeCourt's singing was highly 
appreciated. We may mention in passing, that Mr, 
McCourt subsequently entered the holy priesthood and 
went to his eternal reward in Aug. 1905. In the evening 
Bishop Zardetti delivered a scholarly and eloquent address 
on "The Tokens of Providential Agency in the History of 
the United States". 

That was a comparatively snowless winter, for we read 
that on the 18. of January a game of base ball was played 
here between the Silver Crescents and the Black Diamonds, 
the score of which after eight innings stood even. 

A few days later Father Chrysostom, who had been 
Vice-President of the University since spring 1885, hav- 
ing recently resigned the oflBce, left for the East to assume 
charge of the Bahama mission, which had been entrusted 
to the Fathers of St. John's by the late archbishop Corri- 
gan of New York. With all his wonted energy Father 
Obrysostom took this difficult task in hand and despite 



St. John's University 99 

V50untless discouragements bore the labors and hardships 
of this distant and humble mission with great patience. 
He was succeeded in the vice-presidency at St. John's by 
P. Alexius Hoffmann. Father Chrysostom's departure 
from the institution elicited many expressions of regret 
from his many friends. He did not forget them, however, 
but gave an interesting account of himself and of the con- 
ditions prevailing in his new field of labor through the 
columns of the Record. 

On February 20. ruthless death took away in the flower 
of his youth Fr. Felix Wolke, prefect of the Junior depart- 
ment. He had been waging a hopeless battle against con- 
sumption for two months and expected to find some relief 
in a change of scene. He had been permitted to visit his 
parent at Pierz, and there it was the final summons came. 

Washington's Birthday came and went; the celebration 
was not as brilliant as in former years. St. Patrick's day 
witnessed the time-honored parade around the "beat". On 
April 19. the cream of the home talent gave a musicale, 
the programme of which displayed a charming variety of 
selections, including a sextet for citherns and violins. 
Among the visitors on this occasion was the Rev. Alexan- 
der Christie, since 1899 archbishop of Oregon City, who 
addressed the students on the importance of a thorough 
Christian elementary education. 

Shortly before the close of the school term Mr. F. E. 
Searle lectured to the Commercial class on Free Coinage, 
treating his subject without reference to political views 
and offering throughout an impartial statement or facts 
and figures to show the disadvantages of free coinage of 
silver. 

On commencement day, June 24, twelve medals were 
awarded, and the degree of Master of Accottnts was con- 
ferred on 38 graduates. The total enrollment was 198 — 18 
in the seminary and 180 in all other departments. 



100 St. John's Univeesity 

1891-92 

Among the improvements made for the new school-year 
was a renovation of the play-liall in the basement. A new 
bowling-alley was fitted up, also a pool table, horizontal 
bar, chest weights, striking bag, Indian clubs and dumb 
bells were provided. The quarters were close and gloomy, 
and oil lamps lit up the place in the evening. Still it was 
a step towards a gymnasium, an ideal which was realized 
ten years later. 

Much regret and surprise was caused by the resigna- 
tion of P. Xavier White from the staff during vacation. He 
had been a professor of the higher English and mathema- 
tical classes since 1876, but was now beginning to feel the 
advance of old age and the pressure of infirmities as the 
result of years of missionary labor both before he became 
a member of the Benedictine Order and since that time. 
In course of the summer he went East with the intention 
of giving such aid as he could in the establishment of a 
parish in New York city. "His spirits kept up for a very 
short time", says the Record (IV, 215) "when illness com- 
pelled him to resort to St. Francis Hospital, N. Y. Here 
the physicians pronounced his ailment cancer of the 
stomach." Feeling that he was doomed he resolved to 
hasten back to Minnesota, in order that he might die in 
the midst of his brethren at the monastery. It was while 
at Tonawanda, N. Y., where he paid a short visit to his 
sister, that death overtook him on September 26. He was 
interred by the Benedictine Fathers of St. Mary's Abbey 
at Newark, N. J. 

On November 1. the death of P. Meinrad Rettenmaier 
occurred at Duluth. He was connected with the Univer- 
sity as a professor for a short time in 1883 and 1884, and 
for several years was superintendent of the Industrial 
school, which was established at St. John's for Chippewa 
Indian boys in 1885. 



St. John's University 101 

An eclipse of the moon in November attracted the atten>- 
tion of the class in astronomy. A meagre report of the 
phenomenon strayed into the columns of the Record and 
since it is the first report of its kind, we reprint it in its 
entirety: "The conditions for observing the lunar eclipse 
of Nov. 15 were very unfavorable. A heavy snowstorm 
prevailed during the whole day, to the great dismay of our 
local astronomers. During supper, however, the sky be- 
came clear, and for nearly an hoar Luna showed her 
darkened countenance to the anxious observers, until it 
was again veiled by accumulating clouds. Some interest- 
ing observations were made, which are, however, not of 
sufficient importance to the general reader to warrant their 
publication in these columns." (IV. 238) 

The most notable event of the winter was the installment 
of a large pipe organ in the abbey church. The instru- 
ment was built by W. Schuelke, of Milwaukee, and cost 
about $3000. Its outer case is made of polished oak with 
handsome panels and carving. The key action desk is lo- 
cated at some distance from the organ, allowing the organ- 
ist to face the altar. It has two manuals of 58 keys each, 
and a pedal of 27 keys. The motive power of the bellows 
is furnished by a Tuerk water moter which may be regu- 
lated by a spindle operated at the key desk. The dedica- 
tory services were held on December 15. and were attended 
by the Bishop of St. Cloud and a number of clergymen 
and prominent organists. 

On Jan. 12, 1892, the students arranged a reception for 
the Most Rev. William H. Gross, archbishop of Oregon 
Oity, who visited the institution accompanied by his bro- 
ther, the late Kev. Mark Gross, and Rev. Edward J. O'Dea, 
the present bishop of NesquaUy, Washington. A few 
pleasant hours were spent in listening to choice music and 
the charming, genial eloquence of the archbishop. 

In the way of entertainments the year was a busy one. 
Aside from the reception already mentioned, the newly 



102 St. John's University 

organized Thespian club produced "The Wags of Wind- 
sor" on Dec. 22, 1891, "Falsely Accused" on Washington's 
Birthday and March 8: "Waiting for the Train" on Decor- 
ation Day, and "The Dutch Recruit" on Commencement 
day. The St. Boniface L. A. performed "The Strike" on 
May 9. and "Der dicke Bildschnitzer" on June 6. 

This commencement was called the 25th annual com- 
mencement, as it was customary to count from the estab- 
lishment of the college on its present site in 1867. Hence 
the catalogue of that year was made especially attractive; 
it was printed on superior paper and embellished with 
several half-tone engravings. In addition to the usual 
information, there was a brief sketch of the history of the 
institution since 1867, together with a list of all the grad- 
uates and professors during those twenty-five years. The 
whole number of professors was 106; the degree of D. D. 
had been conferred on 3 candidates, that of Ph. D. on 2, 
that of A. M. on 4, that of Ph. B. on 24, that on A. B. on 
24, and that of M. A. on 366. For the year 1892 the total 
enrollment was 251 — 33 seminarians and 218 in all other de- 
partments. Eleven medals were awarded; the degree of 
Ph. B. was conferred on 5, that of A. B. on 3 and that of 
M. A. on 32 graduates. 

1892-93 

The vacation crew took up the work of beautifying the 
surroundings. A canal was dug between Boniface bay 
and Caesar's lake, the road around the **beat" was extend- 
ed southward to the lake shore and then around the lake 
to the chapel island. Two rustic bridges were built over 
the swamps on the other side and made the chapel acces- 
sible afoot. 

The attendance during the first month was 150, a very 
encouraging figure for the Columbian year, and by all ac- 
counts it was a live attendance at both work and play. 

In the Record. (V, 191) we read: "Through the efforts 
of our professor of physics, Father Peter, a Voluntary 



St. John's University 108 

MeteoroloQjical Station in connection with theU. S. Signal 
Service will be located here. Most of the necessary in- 
struments, such as the barometer, anemometer with elec- 
trical recording attachment, exposure, maximum and min- 
imum thermometer, hygrometer, rain gauge etc. have 
already arrived and will be placed in the cupola of the 
main building where daily observations will be recorded 
and forwarded to the Weather Bureau at Minneapolis. 
Arrangements will be completed in the early part of Oc- 
tober." Just four- hundred years after the discovery of 
America, on October 12, 1892, the Station was opened and 
has kept a faithful record of the weather ever since. 

Both of the Columbian days, the 12th and the 21st, 
were appropriately observed. Bishop Zardetti had direct- 
ed that the religious services on the 21st "consist of High 
Mass of Thanksgiving in honor of the Holy Trinity, with 
the Te Deum and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament". 
Accordingly the Right Rev. Abbot oflGlciated at pontifical 
High Mass in the forenoon, while the afternoon was de- 
voted to an entertainment at which the members of the 
St. Boniface L. A. presented a historical drama in five 
acts, entitled "Columbus". 

Among the visitors in November was Bishop McGol- 
rick of Duluth, who was accorded a unique reception. An 
amateur campaign marching club, which had played a 
noisy but unimportant part in the presidential campaign 
just closed, rallied some 80 strong and held a torchlight 
procession in honor of the distinguished guest. After the 
parade the Bishop addressed the student in the exhibition 
hall. 

Stray notes from the local reporter's scrap book are 
to the effect that in course of the scholastic year five new 
Remington typewriting machines were purchased to meet 
the increasing popularity of that branch of study; also 
that a class in Civics was organized and that the museum 
vas slowly but surely growing. 



104 St. John'^s University 

On March 28. Abbot Bernard departed for Eome to at- 
tend the laying of the cornerstone for the new Benedictine 
college of San Anselmo. In view of the fact that he would 
have an audience with ihe Holy Father, the students pre- 
pared an album containing congratulatory addresses in 
nine languages, viz.; Latin Italian, French, English, Ger- 
man, Polish, Bohemian, Slavonian and Chippewa. At- 
tached were the signatures of all the students and of the 
faculty, A modest reception was arranged for the Right 
Rev. Abbot on the eve of his departure when the album 
was handed to him. He did not return until the latter 
part of July. 

Needless to say the literary and dramatic societies con- 
tributed their share toward keeping up the spirits through- 
out the year. The Thespians presented programs on 
October 12th, Thanksgiving day, and Washington's Birth- 
day, while the St. Boniface L. A. held the boards on 
October 21 in the play already mentioned, and on March 
7. produced that grand and impressive drama, "Sir Thomas 
More", echoes of which have come down to our day. An 
unusual degree of interest was displayed in music, both 
vocal and instrumental. Besides the orchestra of 18 
pieces there was a brass band of 24 pieces and a new or- 
chestra club under the leadership of John Rodenkirchen, 
who has for several years past been prominent in musical 
circles in our State. There was also a vocal club called 
the "Liederkranz". 

On commencement day eleven medals were awarded; the 
degree of Ph. B. was conferred on one graduate and that 
of M. A. on 24. The total enrollment this year was 272 — 
34 seminarians and 238 in all other departments. 

1893-94 

During the months of July and August a force of 
painters were engaged to paint and grain the wood work 
in the college buildings, and to decorate the exhibition 




RT. REV. BERNARD LOCNIKAR, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 105 

hall. At the same time the old stone- house, which was 
the only building that constituted St. John's College in 
1867, was torn down, owing to the defective condition of 
its walls. It was never replaced by any other structure, 
but a large flower-bed marks its site at the south end of 
the present house. "In a few years", says the Record at 
this time, "the pioneer student who recollects the day 
when the brass band played 'Home, Sweet Home' on the 
cupola of the edifice, will return to find not the slightest 
trace of St. John's as it then was, save the majestic forest, 
the silvery lake whose gentle waves lap the sandy shores, 
and, above all, the cordial welcome and hospitality it ever 
extends, which forms the ground work of an edifice against 
which the tooth of time is powerless." 

In compliance with the wish of Pope Leo XIII, that 
the new college of San Anselmo be a central university 
for the entire Order and that its students should be re- 
cruited from all the Benedictine monasteries, Fr. Michael 
Ott was selected to represent St. John's. He left for 
Rome in the fall and entered upon an advanced course in 
Philosophy, from which he graduated two years later. 
About the same time, Fr. Otto Weisser was sent to Ratis- 
bon for a higher course in Music. 

After presiding over the diocese of St. Cloud for four 
and one-half years. Bishop Zardetti was created arch- 
bishop of Bucharest in Rou mania. He paid his farewell 
visit to St. John's on April 24, 1894, on which occasion a 
reception was tendered him. Although he expressed the 
fervent hope that he might find an opportunity to revisit 
the West within no very distant period of time, it was not 
to be. He resigned the see of Bucharest about three years 
later and retired to Rome, where he died May 10, 1902. 

Among the improvements of this year may be mentioned 
the installment of a private telephone line in the build- 
ings, and of a telegraph office, concerning which the Record 
says: " The line runs from the University to Collegeville, 



106 St. John's University 

thence along the railroad track and on the telegraph com- 
pany's poles to St. Joseph depot. A set of new instruments- 
has been installed in an office on the first floor of the 
University. Father Agatho is in charge of the office. The 
first message was sent over the new line on June 6." This 
line did service for many years, but at present is almost 
entirely superseded by the long-distance telephone. 

Commencement day, June 21st, was made memorable by 
the presence of the Governor of the State, the Hon. Knute 
Nelson, now U. S. Senator. It was the first time the in- 
stitution was able to chronicle such an event, and neither 
faculty nor students spared any efforts to make his stay as 
pleasant as possible. At the closing exercises he conferred 
the medals and diplomas and delivered a brief and forc- 
ible address. 

On the rolls were the names of 234 students - 37 sem- 
inarians and 197 in all other departments. Nine medals 
were awarded, the degree of Ph.B. was conferred on 5 and 
that of M. A. on 35 graduates. 

Scarcely had the echoes of the school year died away 
when the institution was visited by a catastrophe, the 
traces of which will remain visible for a number of years. 

'*The heat had been oppressive for several days. A 
storm was expected on the evening of the 26th of June, 
but it did not come. On the 27th the barometer stood at 
an unusually low point. Towards evening heavy clouds 
drew up and at 7:30 a strong rainstorm came on. It lasted 
for about 15 minutes and was followed by hail, though 
only for a minute. Then came a sullen calm for a few 
minutes, the current of air from the northwest met that 
from the southeast at some point south from here, and a 
funnel-shaped cloud was observed moving toward us. Sud- 
denly at 8:30 it grew dark, the winds began to howl and 
the fatal whirlwind was upon us. A few seconds sufficed 
to create a desolation this community never saw on its 
grounds. The air was filled with flying timbers, furniture, 



St. John's University 107 

limbs of trees and everything the wind could pick up; 
windows crashed, doors closed violently or were pressed 
open, and through the flashes of lightning could be seen 
the wreck outside." The track of the cyclone lay over the 
lake; it first unroofed the laundry and wrecked the adjoin- 
ing engine room and smoke-stack. The main buildings 
were attacked on the south-east end, which was occupied 
by the Industrial School. The pupils were on the point 
of retiring for the night, when the cyclone set in. They 
were hurried out of their dormitory and not a second too 
soon, for just as the last pupil stepped into the middle 
building, the upper floors of the building which they had 
left were carried away. The roof of the main building 
was slightly damaged, all the chimneys blown down, the 
weather station was wrecked and the turret-cap moved 
out of position. The engine-house which contains the 
heating plant was also wrecked, but fortunately the 
boilers did not sustain any serious damage; the roofs were 
blown from all the out-buildings, of which there were 
about ten. The new brick barn, one of the largest and 
finest in the State, was a total wreck, with exception of 
the stone stabling in the lower floor. 

However serious the disaster appeared to be, it was a 
source of great satisfaction that not a single human life 
had been lost. 

Soon masons and carpenters were at work repairing the 
damage and before vacation was past, the authorities were 
able to announce that school work would be resumed in 
September. Few scars of the cyclone are visible on the 
buildings, but many and many a year will pass before the 
forest trees that were blown down that evening and left 
the surrounding country a bleak desert, can be replaced. 
God spare us from another such a visitation. 



CHAPTER V. 

The Administration of Abbot Peter Engel from 
1894 TO THE Present Time. 



1894-95 



Of those who were at St. John's during the cyclone, no 
one seems to have been so deeply affected by the disaster 
as Abbot Bernard. He had for years been in delicate 
health and the shock of the disaster evidently hastened 
the ravages of disease. After the new school year was well 
under way, he set out upon a journey of visitation to the 
various missions in charge of Fathers of the Abbey. To- 
wards the end of October he broke down completely and 
on advice of his physician retired to Stillwater, where he 
received kind care and attention in the rectory of St. Ma- 
ry's church, of which Rev. Alphonse Kuisle, O. S. B. was 
then pastor. He never recovered from his ailment, which 
proved to be Bright's disease, and on November 7th the 
wire carried the sad intelligence to the abbey that he was 
dead. The funeral services and interment took place at the 
abbey on November 14th, Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, his 
predecessor, officiating as celebrant .The bishops of James- 
town, Sioux Falls and Winona, the administrator of the 
vacant see of St. Cloud and four abbots assisted at the 
services. Bishop Shan ley of Jamestown delivered the 
sermon, in the course of which he paid eloquent tributes 
to the memory of the deceased as a priest, monk and su- 
perior. 

Abbot Bernard was born in the province of Krain, South- 

108 



St. John's University 109 

em Austria, in the village of Bitnje, of poor parents Sep- 
tember 29, 1848. His widowed mother lacked the means 
to give him even an elementary education, but a priest of 
his acquaintance furnished him an opportunity to study at 
the gymnasium of Krainburg and at the Aloysianum of 
Laibach. While reading of the labors of his illustrious 
countrymen, the late Bishop Baraga of Sault St. Marie, 
and Rev. F. Pierz, among the Indians of Michigan, Wis- 
consin and Minnesota, he became inflamed with a desire 
of going there and spending his life and energies in the 
mission among the Indians. With this purpose in view 
he left his native soil in 1868 with his mother and brother 
and came to the United States. The terminus of their 
journey was Stearns County in Minnesota. Here, while his 
mother and brother settled on a small farm near Albany, 
he made the acquaintance of the Benedictine Fathers at 
St. Louis abbey and concluded to remain with them, hop- 
ing that in course of time he might be able to carry out 
his original resolve. As he had already completed an ex- 
cellent classical course, he was at once sent into the no- 
viciate of the Order and spent the following three years in 
theological studies. On December 22, 1872 he was ordain- 
ed a priest ; he had been appointed vice-president of the 
college in November (p. 40) and retained this office to the 
end of the school year. During the next seven years he 
attended small missions in the neighborhood of the abbey, 
was also sub- prior of the monastery from 1875-1877, and 
prior from 1877-1879. Then, as has already been stated, 
he became assistant and subsequently rector of the church 
of theAssumption in St. Paul, where he remained up to 
the time of his election to the abbatial chair. His death 
was deeply regretted and lamented not only by his brethren 
but by a wide circle of friends among the clergy and laity. 

Two weeks later, on November 28. the Fathers of the 
abbey met in chapter to elect a successor to the late 
Abbot. The choice fell upon the subprior and Director 



110 St. John's Univeestty 

of Studies, Very Rev. Peter Engel. Father Peter, by 
which name he is known to a large number of alumni, was 
born near Port Washington, Wisconsin, February 3, 1856, 
a few months before the first colony of Benedictines 
entered Minnesota. In his early boj^hood his parents re- 
moved to Minnesota and settled at St. Michael's in Wright 
County, and the future abbot was sent to school to St. 
John's College in 1869. While pursuing the course of 
studies, he felt attracted to the monastic life and deter- 
mined to become a Benedictine. He was admitted to the 
noviciate in 1874, made simple profession July 19, 1875 
and was ordained a priest December 15, 1878. On Aug- 
ust 15th of the following year he was appointed sub-prior 
of the abbey and occupied that position to the time of his 
election as Abbot. Ever since 1875 he had been one of 
busiest professors at St. John's, his specialties being phil- 
osophy and the natural sciences. In addition he perform- 
ed the duties of a Director of Studies since 1882 and of a 
Master of Novices since 1887. No one was better ac- 
quainted with the state of affairs and the needs of such a 
vast institution than Abbot Peter, for he had spent two 
consecutive decades on the spot and had been intim- 
ately in touch with the work of both the monastery and 
college. The election was ratified by Eome and the 
documents arrived at the abbey towards the end of Jan- 
uary 1895. His solemn benediction and installation was 
postponed to the summer months, but he entered at once 
upon the discharge of his duties. 

The completion of the new observatory during the 
summer had been prevented by the unfortunate cyclone. 
In fall, however, work was resumed and within a month 
after the election of Abbot Peter, to whose efforts the 
building of the observatory was due, the instruments were 
installed. The observatory "crowns the hill which is 
about 200 yards east of the University and south of the 
road leading to CoUegeville. The top of the revolving 



St. John s University 111 

dome is 32 feet from the ground. The entrance faces 
south and leads to the computation room; its dimensions 
are 10X13^ feet. Adjoining it is the transit instrument 
and the chronograph; this partis 9JX12| feet. From here 
we enter the round tower, which has a diameter of 16 feet. 
In the center rises a pier of masonry to the height of 19 
feet. Altogether independent it pierces the second floor 
and wears a cap of Kasota stone 8 inches thick, to which 
the telescope is bolted." {Record^ Jan. 1895. 2) The 
structure is built of red brick and the revolving dome is 
of tin. Immediately upon its completion it was equipped 
with appropriate instruments from the factory of G. N. 
Saegmueller & Co., Washington D. 0. 

In February 1895 the new bishop of St. Cloud, Mgr. 
Martin Marty, O. S. B. was installed in office, and on 
March 21. the feast of St. Benedict, he was the guest of 
the abbey, where he officiated at pontifical High Mass 
in accordance with the tradition established by Bishop 
Zardetti. Bishop Marty's administration covered less 
than two years and yet within that time he favored the 
institution with many visits. 

On May 25. 1895 P. Paul Rettenmaier O. S. B., profess- 
or of philosophy and other branches from 1872-77, died at 
Arlington, Minn., where he was temporarily stationed as 
rector. He was born in Wuerttemberg in 1853, made vows 
as a Benedictine 1871 and was ordained a priest Decem- 
ber 25, 1875. With exception of the five years mentioned 
above, he was engaged in pastoral work in Minnesota and 
North Dakota. He was a man of keen mind, bright in- 
telligence and very enthusiastic in every work he took in 
hand. His principal regret was that ill health defeated 
all his best intentions, especially during the latter part of 
his life. His younger brother, P. Meinrad, died four 
years before (p. 100). 

Nine days later, June 3, the venerable Bishop Rupert 
Seidenbusch, who had presided over St. John's as its first 



112 St. John's Univeesity 

abbot from 1867-1875, breathed his last in Richmond, Vir- 
ginia, while on his way to Minnesota from Savannah, Ga, 
where he had spent the preceding winter. His remains 
were brought to St. John's and interred in the abbey cem- 
etery on June 11th. Bishop Rupert Seidenbusch was 
born in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, October 13. 1830, 
studied in the schools of his native country till 1850 when 
be came to the United States and entered the Benedictine 
order at St. Viucent's abbey. He was ordained a priest 
June 22, 1853, served several years in the mission in Penn- 
sylvania and New Jersey and was prior of St, Vincent's 
from 1862-1867, which position he held when he was 
chosen first abbot of St. Louis on the Lake. After govern- 
ing the abbey eight years he was appointed Vicar Apos- 
tolic of Northern Minnesota. For thirteen years he con- 
tinued to administer this difiicult office, when increasing 
infirmities compelled him to resign in November 1888. 
He spent the remainder of his life in retirement from 
active duties and usually sought relief during the winter 
months in Los Angeles or Savannah. Few tributes to his 
memory were as striking as that in the Ave Maria (Notre 
Dame Ind.): "The late Bishop Seidenbusch, O. S. B. 
was another of those silent workers whose selfless lives 
have helped to upbuild the Church in America. Twenty 
years ago he was called from the quiet Benedictine Abbey 
to organize a new vicariate in Northern Minnesota over 
which he presided with singular success until the erection 
of the see of St. Cloud. The pioneer work had then been 
done, but Bishop Seidenbusch was broken in health and 
he willingly laid down the episcopal burden to labor not 
less devotedly in a humbler capacity. His life was as 
edifying as it was full of great deeds for the Church and 
he was especially devout to the Blessed Virgin." 

Apart from the inauguration of the observatory no 
prominent event in the development of the college is to 
be chronicled for this year. Abbot Peter, continued to 




RT. REV. PETER ENGEL, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 113 

act as Director of Studies even after his election aod to 
the end of the schoolyear. P. Oswald Baran had been ap- 
pointed Principal of the Commercial Department in the 
fall of 1894. The dramatic societies exhibited very few 
plays, the principal of which was "Garcia Morenos Tod." 
which was played by members of the St. Boniface L. A. 
to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its foun- 
dation. The total number of students enrolled was only 
223; 36 seminarians and 187 in all other departments. On 
commencement day, June 20th, the degree of B. A. was 
conferred on 2 candidates, that of Ph. B. on 5. and that of 
M. A. on 25. Nine gold medals were awarded. 

On July 10th a great meeting of the Alumni was held 
and on the 11th Abbot Peter Engel was solemnly installed 
in office by the ordinary of the diocese, Bishop Marty, in 
presence of the Archbishop of St. Paul, Most Rev. J. 
Ireland, Bishops McGolrick of Duluth, Shanley of James- 
town, Fink O. S. B. of Kansas City, Kas. and Haid O. S. 
B. Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, four abbots and a 
great number of secular and regular clergymen. 

1895-96 

In the second year of his administration, Abbot Bernard 
had resolved to extend the activity of the Benedictine 
order to the Pacific coast in response to an invitation from 
the late Bishop Junger of Nesqaally, Washington. Prop- 
erty was purchased in Thurston County, Washington, 
about 4 miles east of Olympia and 29 miles from Tacoma 
for the purpose of founding a monastery and college. 
Here an elegant frame structure, 100 feet long and 60 feet 
wide, four stories high, was built and ready for occupancy 
late in the summer of 1895. Fathers William Eversmann 
and Wolfgang Steinkogler were the pioneers in this west- 
ern mission; they were joined in the spring of 1895 by P. 
Demetrius Juenemann, and when, in August of the same 
year, Abbot Peter paid his first official visit to the young 



114 St. John'^s University 

foundation, he took with him P. Oswald Baran, whom he 
appointed Director of St. Martin's College, as the new 
institution was named. In September followed Fr. Bene- 
dict Schmit and three lay brothers, among whom was Bro, 
William who for a quarter of a century had presided over 
the kitchen at St. John's. The College was opened in 
September to a small class which, however, has been con- 
stantly growing until now it has crept far above the 
hundred mark. At later periods Fathers Matthew Britt» 
Justin Welz, Adolph Dingmann, Mark Wiechmann and 
Ulric Scheffold joined the faculty. Even the venerable 
pioneer of St. John's, P. Cornelius Wittmann, in 1896 
volunteered to go West and devote the rest of his life to 
another pioneer task. Nine years later, however, having 
almost completely lost his eyesight, he returned to St. 
John's, where if Heaven grant him respite he will be able 
to greet the alumni of 1857 at the jubilee celebration. — 
St. Martin's developed so rapidly that in the winter of 
1903 arrangements were made to organize the community 
as an independent priory. On March 9. 1904, P. Dem- 
etrius Juenemann was elected the first canonical prior of 
St. Martin's and duly confirmed by the Holy See. 

At St. John's, P. Oswald was replaced as Principal of 
the Commercial Department by P. Norbert Hofbauer. 
Having completed an advanced course in philosophy in 
Rome and graduated with the degree of Doctor of Philos- 
ophy, P. Michael Ott returned from Rome in September 
and was appointed Prefect of Studies, which position he 
still occupies. In October of the same year Fr. Bruno 
Doerfler was sent to Rome to pursue advanced courses at 
the college of San Anselmo. 

Work during the second term was seriously hampered 
by a siege of diphtheria which began in March and lasted 
to the end of April. None of the cases, which exceeded 
fourscore in number (including the pupils of the Indus- 
trial school), proved fatal. Classes were not, however, in- 



St. John's University 115 

interrupted, even for a single day and those who were 
not afflicted, adapted themselves to the situation stoically 
while the quarantine lasted. For the closing event, a 
play was again resorted to; the dramatic societies selected 
the Shakespearian comedy "The Merchant of Venice", in 
an adapted form, and played it fairly wellon the eve of com- 
mencement day. The closing exercises were held on June 
24th, the Bishop of St, Cloud presiding for the last time- 
(He died September 19th, 1896). Nine gold medals were 
awarded; the degree of A. M. was conferred on 2 candi- 
dates; that of Ph. B. on 5; that of B. A. on 3 and that of 
M. A. on 33. The total enrollment was 227, of which 
number 45 were seminarians and 182 in all other depart- 
ments. 

1896-97. 

The Industrial school for Indian boys established in 
January 1885 was discontinued in June 1896 and the 
building occupied by the pupils became available for 
other purposes. The first floor of the building, the south- 
ern wing, which was damaged by the cyclone, was convert- 
ed into shops and store-rooms, the second floor was the 
temporary quarters of the abbey library, while the third 
floor was devoted to the museum and physicial cabinet' 
Numerous generous donors had for years past presented 
curious and valuable specimens of every description, which 
for lack of proper space could not be displayed to advan- 
tage. 

Among other improvements may be noted the organiza- 
tion of a reading room in connection with the students, 
library, in its present quarters. The circulating library 
which at that time contained about 2000 bound volumes, 
among them many valuable reference works, was hence- 
forth daily at the disposal of those students who were am- 
bitious to avail themselves of every opportunity to sup- 
plement their course of study by judicious reading. Short- 



116 St. John's University 

ly, magazines and newspapers were added to the equipment. 

Pleasant occasions for the students of '97 were the visit 
of Bishop Shanley on September 29th and of Archbishop 
Gross on Thanksgiving day. In the lecture course the 
most notable numbers were the lectures by Judge L. W. 
Collins and Mr. J. D Sullivan, then county attorney of 
Stearns county. 

Hitherto the twin church towers had harbored but one 
bell; in the spring of 1897 a chime of five bells was cast 
by Gardiner Campbell & Sons, Milwaukee, under super- 
vision of Prof. John Singenberger. They range in weight 
from 6150 to 1900 lbs, and are tuned to A, B, D, E, and F- 
sharp respectively. On May 12 Abbot Peter consecrated 
the chime; three days later its harmonious tongues pealed 
forth upon the evening air a song as full and sweet as 
these solitudes had never heard before. 

One of first offices of the chime was to lament the death 
of one of the ancient figures in the history of St. John's. 
On May 19 Brother Thaddeus Hoermann — Bro. *'Taddy" 
he was familiarly called — closed his eyes in death after 
a life of almost fifty years spent in religion as a humble 
lay brother. For nearly thirty years his slow, lumbering 
conveyance had carried many a student or visitor from 
and to the railroad station, even before there was a rail- 
road station at St. Cloud; nor did rain or shine either 
alter his schedule or the evenness of his temper. When 
advancing years incapacitated him for the service, he was 
sent to the monastery farm at West Union. The last days 
of his long life were spent at the Abbey. May his memory 
never perish. 

A month after the installation of the bells, the great 
clock was put in position in the south tower of the church. 
Its mechanism operates the hands on the eight large 
dials — four in each tower — and connects with the chime 
which strikes the quarters and full hours by day and night 
in all seasons. 



St. John's University 117 

One of the last academic events was the oratorical contest 
on June 13th for a medal to be awarded in elocution. 
Only the board of judges, members of the faculty select- 
ed for the occasion, witnessed the struggle which lasted 
two hours and for which there were eight entries. 

Commencement day was celebrated very quietly: no 
elaborate programme had been prepared. On June 24th 
the usual award of prizes took place and before that day's 
sun had set, the class had scattered in all directions. On 
the list of the faculty were the names of 82 professors, 
besides three lecturers : the total enrollment of students 
was 227, — of which 39 were seminarians and 188 students 
of all other departments. The degree of Ph. B, was con- 
ferred on one candidate, that of M. A. on 34 graduates of 
the commercial course. Eleven medals were awarded. 

1897—1898 

These annals now have arrived within a decade of the 
present time. The closer the chronicler approaches the 
present, the more embarrassed is he in his choice of ma- 
terial from the numerous sources at his disposal. Hence he 
will confine himself to the principal events, leaving to 
some future historian the task of narrating the story of 
this decade in greater detail. 

Fr. Alcuin Deutsch was sent to the college of San 
Anselmo in Rome to pursue a higher course in Philosophy 
and kindred branches; and P. Anselm Ortmann attended 
special courses at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. 
P. Ulric Scheffold was appointed Principal of the Com- 
mercial Department as successor to P. Norbert, who now 
permanently retired from this department with which he 
had been connected, with exception of a few years, since 
its establishment in 1878. 

Repeatedly dissatisfaction was expressed with the 
system according to which sports were conducted: here 
and there a voice timidly queried, Why not start something 



118 St. John's University 

like an Athletic Association? — The question was finally 
taken up and an organization by that name was called into 
being during the second term. 

On October 16th Bishop James Trobec, the successor of 
the late Bishop Marty in the see of St. Cloud, paid his 
first visit as a bishop to St. John's and was accorded a 
reception. The students and members of the community 
formed a procession which escorted his carriage from the 
observatory to the abbey church where he was received 
according to the ceremonial. On the following day, which 
was the anniversary of the consecration of the church, he 
officiated at solemn pontifical High Mass and on the next 
day, the 18th, for the first time held ordinations here. 

The best stage production of the year was Shake- 
speare's "Julius Caesar", which was played on Washing- 
ton's Birthday under the direction of Mr. Lawrence J. 
Vaughan, whose acquaintance with the stage eminently 
qualified him to produce something worthy of notice. Mr. 
Vaughan himself played the role of Mark Antony. We 
may observe in passing that since his ordination Mr. 
Vaughan has gained the reputation of being a scholarly and 
convincing orator and lecturer in various parts of this 
country and Canada. 

During the summer work was begun at decorating the 
church: the work was designed and executed by Mr. Geo. 
F. Satory of Winona, Minn. 

On three evenings in June the University Band gave 
open air concerts on the lawn before the main building. 
During the same month Mr. John P. Winter, '95, a grad- 
uate of the commercial course and just on the threshold 
of his career as an attorney at law, delivered several in- 
teresting lectures on topics of Commercial Law. 

A hot week of examinations followed — heat, such as no 
class of students ever experienced here. All kinds of 
cooling devices were used in vain and it was a great relief 
that commencement was set for the 22nd. On that day 



St. John's Univeksity 119 

Bishop Trobec celebrated Holy Mass for the students and 
administered the sacrament of Confirmation to a class of 
33. At 9 o'clock a. m. the schoolyear was formally closed 
with the distribution of prizes and award of degrees. The 
diploma of M. A. was conferred on 42 graduates of the 
commercial course and 8 gold medals were awarded. The 
total enrollment for the year was 259 — of which number 
43 were seminarians and 216 in all other departments. 

1898-99 

The Seminary, which had hitherto been under the im- 
mediate supervision of a Prefect now received a Rector, 
the first to hold the office being P. Athanasins Meyer. 
Then as now, the members of the two classes in philosophy 
as well as the students of theology were called semin- 
arians. 

Little by little the electrical era began to manifest its 
presence: there were electric bells, electric clocks, the tele- 
graph, the telephone, even some demonstrations with wire- 
less telegraphy and X-rays had been made, but the most 
substantial accomplishment was the introduction of elec- 
tric light. Owing to the isolated location of the institu- 
tion, it was necessary to build a power house for the dyna- 
mos and engine, and to "wire" the vast buildings, not for- 
getting even the laundry, observatory and stables. Work 
was begun during the summer and on October 10th the 
service was tested. The study-halls were now brilliantly 
lit up by dazzling clusters of lamps: in the church the old 
Bailey reflectors with tbeir oil-lamps made way for scores 
of incandesent bulbs arranged artistically about the capi- 
tals of pillars and along the walls of the sanctuary and 
shedding a light that lent new charms to the soft colors 
and gleams of gold in the decorations. 

On September 24th occurred the death of P. Anthony 
Capser, who is known to the students of several classes 
as a professor and disciplinarian. He was 57 years of age 
and had served many years in the mission in Pennsylvania 



120 St. John's UNivEESiTr 

and the Western States. 

On January 19th, 1899, the students attended services 
for the repose of the soul of Rev. E. J. Lawler, '84, who 
died January 17th. He was pastor of Hinckley vhen that 
town was wiped out by flames in 1894 and many lives were 
lost. On that occasion he did heroic service, but his health 
suffered such a shock in consequence that he never fully 
recovered. At the time of his death he was chaplain of 
St. Marys Hospital, Duluth. 

By far the best dramatic production of the year was 
that entitled "Fidelis von Sigmaringen" by the members 
of the St. Boniface L. A. during an entertainment compli- 
mentary to Bishop Trobec on March 21st. 

In the lecture course appeared Judges Searle and Col- 
lins, and Mr. P. J. Winter, whose services merit the 
thanks of many classes that had the pleasure to listen to 
gentlemen of such distinction and ability. 

On May 4 the seminarians in a body repaired to St. 
Cloud to assist at the obsequies of their late fellow-stu- 
dent, Mr. Matthias Meyer, whose life had been cut short 
by consumption when he was about to enter upon the 
course of theological studies. He was a brother of P. 
Athanasius Meyer, the Rev. Rector of the Seminary. 

The schoolyear terminated on June 23d when the class 
honors were awarded. Bishop Trobec and Rev. Dr. Hef- 
fron, rector of St. Paul Seminary, himself an old student 
of '79, addressed the outgoing class. The degree of Ph. Bw 
was conferred on 2 candidates, that of A. M. on one, and 
that of M. A. on 30. Eight medals were awarded. The 
total enrollment was 237 — of which number 47 were sem- 
inarians and 190 students in all other departments. 

During vacation P. Placidus Wingerter went to Rome 
to be a professor at the Greek College of San Atanasio, 
and P. Bruno Doerfler, who returned from the Eternal 
City, was appointed Director of the University to succeed 
P. Alexius Hoffmann. 




0) 

z 

>- 
o 



St. John's University 121 

1899-1900 

From the catalogue of 1899 it appears that the old des- 
ignation of classes by numerals — such as First Class, 
Second Class etc. — was no longer acceptable. The 
Preparatory course was now to be styled the Elementary 
course, with three years assigned for its work. The Class- 
ical course was made to comprise seven years: the Acad- 
emic department comprised the third, second and first 
Academic classes, the Collegiate department comprised 
the classes of Humanities, Poetry, Rhetoric and Philoso- 
phy. For the Ecclesiastical course four years were as- 
signed, — one year of Philosophy, in addition to that in the 
Classical course, and three of Theology and allied studies. 

If the Scientific course was up to this time treated as a 
"useful complement of a liberal education", it was owing 
to the limited facilities for offering the student a com- 
prehensive course. The time had arrived when it became 
advisable to establish a separate course for sciences. The 
faculty offered courses in General Physics, Applied El- 
ectricity, Mechanics, Astronomy, Zoology and Botany. 

In the Seminary P. Bernard Kevenhoerster succeeded 
P.Athanasius Meyer as Rector; he has filled the office since 
that time to the present day. P. Athanasius was ap- 
pointed to the responsible position of a master of novices 
in which capacity, in addition to numerous professorial 
duties, he is still active. i 

During the vacation preceding the schoolyear, the plas- 
tered ceilings in several of the class rooms were replaced 
by ceilings of pressed steel, and the rickety wooden stair- 
case leading to the northside entrance made way for an 
elegant iron structure. 

On Thanksgiving day the several musical organizations 
presented a very interesting programme, in which the 
vocal numbers were especially highly appreciated. On 
Dec. 20, on the eve of the beginning of the Christmas 
holidays, the Alexian L. A. presented the drama "William 



122 St. John's University 

Tell," an adaptation of Schiller's famous drama. 

Again relentless death knocked at the college gate, this 
time summoning in the prime of his life P. Lambert Thel- 
en. He was born in Chicago. 111., August 25, 1874, made 
his entire course at St. John's, became a member of the 
Benedictine Order in 1895 and was ordained a priest 
March 22, 1899. As early as May 1898, his health gave 
wa}" and he was compelled to retire from active work. In 
July 1899 he was sent to Colorado to find relief in the air 
of the mountain region. All efforts were of no avail; he 
died at Pueblo, Colo., March 8, 1900, and his remains were 
brought to St. John's for burial. 

During the ensuing summer strenuous efforts were made 
to beautify the landscape with trees. The cyclone had 
swept away many acres of woodland and the bitter blasts 
of winter had full sway. Several brave attempts had al- 
ready been made at building up a new forest, notably on 
the peninsula opposite the laundry, called "Adrianople," 
and in the tract between Caesar's bay and Boniface 
bay. The good work was continued north of the build- 
ings, along the lake shore and wherever, as a Record 
writer puts it, there was place to dig a hole. Although 
neither the present, nor even the next generation will see 
St. John's surrounded by such a forest as it had twenty 
years ago, the local arboriculturists have perpetuated their 
memories in a delightful way. 

A prominent feature of the year was the revival of sports 
and the organization of the St. John's Athletic association 
on a grander scale than ever. Under the auspices of the 
association, baseball and football teams were trained, 
games scheduled and sporting goods furnished. The fates 
and fortunes of the association will be narrated in a later 
chapter. 

Closing exercises were held June 22. The degree of 
Ph. B. was conferred on two candidates; that of M. A. on 
41. On the rolls were the names of 226 students — 37 



St. John's University 123 

seminarians and 189 in all other departments. Eight 
medals were awarded. The catalogue was larger than that 
of any preceding year and was adorned with twelve half- 
tone engravings. A change was introduced in the naming 
of the classes of the classical course: they were now called, 
beginning with the lowest, the First, Second, and Third 
Academic, and the" Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior and 
Senior class. In the schedule for the Scientific course, the 
first two years are identical with the first and second 
Academic, the following five are independent. The class 
of 1900 signalized itself by adopting college colors — blue 
and cardinal — and a college yell. July 18 and 19th 
witnessed an enthusiastic assembly of the Alumni, at which 
the various branches were well represented. 

1900-1901 

During vacation the Rt. Rev. President departed for 
Europe and after visiting the principal cities and Bene- 
dictine monasteries of the Continent, attended the conse- 
cration of the church of San Anselmo, connected with the 
Benedictine university of the same name, in Rome, on 
Nov. 11. He returned to St. John's December 16th. 

The first class of the twentieth century sat down to its 
tasks promptly, resolved to set a pace for the following 
ninety-nine classes of the new age. A biological laboratory 
was fitted up in the first floor and classes in botany and 
zoology were organized. 

On October 5 the students met in the Assembly Hall to 
celebrate the namesday of their Rev. Director, P. Bruno. 
Music and addresses filled out a pleasant hour, and P. 
Bruno was made the recipient of several useful presents as 
souvenirs of the occasion. This may be a slight incident 
to commemorate ; yet the event stands to the credit of the 
class of '01, as demonstrating their respect for their su- 
perior. 

As a pleasant close of the century, the Alexian L. A. 



124 St. John's University 

presented the stirring drama "Pizarro" on December 20th. 
So well was the play received, that the members accepted 
an invitation of Mr. Davidson, manager of the St. Cloud 
Opera House, to perform it in that city on January 16th 
following. The press notices were exceedingly compli- 
mentary. 

An event, the first of its kind at the institution and one 
which turned out to be a veritable ovation, was the cele- 
bration of the Silver Jubilee of the priesthood of P. Fran- 
cis Mershman, the senior professor at the institution, on 
January 9. 1901. On January 1st, P. Francis had cele- 
brated the anniversary at Luxemburg, Stearns Co., where 
he had offered the Holy Sacrifice for the first time twenty 
five years before. The seminarians at St. John's felt that 
they could not permit the occasion to pass without a de- 
monstration, for P. Francis had been a teacher in the 
seminary ever since 1876. On the evening of the 9th, an 
entertainment was given by the seminarians assisted by 
the musical organizations of the college. Bishop Trobec 
and a number of the secular and regular clergy of the dio- 
cese and from neighboring States were present. Addresses 
were made in German, English and Latin, and a valuable 
keepsake was presented the Rev. Jubilarian. P. Francis' 
name occurs in the list of the faculty as a professor since 
1869. The snows of age are upon him now, but his cheer- 
ful disposition carries him triumphantly through the 
wear and strain of an educator's life. 

Washington's Birthday saw the dehut of the newly or- 
ganized St. John's U. Dramatic Association in that fasci- 
nating comedy, "The Old Captain's Idea, or the Living 
Statue." 

Early in the year the public was informed that the 
faculty contemplated building a gymnasium and a li- 
brary in the near future, and before many moons elapsed, 
the first important steps had been taken to realize the 
idea. Mr. C. R. Aldrich, the Minneapolis architect, was 



St. John's University 125 

entrusted with the task of drawing plans for botli build- 
ings. Work at excavation for the library building was be- 
gun April 12th and within a month the foundation walls 
were completed. The masons at once were set to work on 
the foundation for the gymnasium, which stands a very 
short distance to the northwest of the buildings, while the 
library is located off the southwest corner of the middle 
building. The contract for erection of the library was let 
to Mr. J. Heimann of St. Cloud for $13,100. By the end 
of the schoolyear both buildings were steadily progressing. 

On June 20th, commencement exercises were held. 8 
medals were awarded: the degree of B. A. was conferred 
on 4 graduates in the classical course and that of M. A. on 
41 graduates of the commercial course. The total number 
of students enrolled was 243 — 39 seminarians and 204 
other students. "With the martial sounds of a drum and 
a fife" the outgoing class marched to the railway station 
with waving banners and streamers in College colors. The 
coaches placed at the disposal of the students, and even 
the locomotive, were decorated with the colors and so 
the first class of the twentieth century rushed out gleefully, 
hopefully into the broad field of action. 

Four weeks later, July 17th, P. Norbert Hof bauer, whose 
name is familiar to many classes of students, closed his 
eyes in death. He had come to St. John's as a slip of a 
boy in 1867; he had no wealth beyond a few musical in- 
struments and exceptionally brilliant talents, not only for 
music, but for almost every other subject. In 1873 he en- 
tered the Order, in 1877 he was ordained a priest: from 
1877-79 he was sub-prior and from 1879-89 prior in the 
monastery. He organized the commercial college in 1877 
and was its principal for many years. In the 80's he or- 
ganized the orchestra and was its director to within a short 
time before his death. A very brief illness preceded his 
death, which by reason of its comparative suddenness, came 
as a powerful shock to his many pupils and friends. 



126 St. John's University 

1901-1902 

In consequence of the removal of tlie Collegeville station 
building by the Great Northern railway company, the 
authorities of the institutioo were compelled to erect near 
the station some kind of shelter for students and visitors 
to St. John's. A spacious two-story frame building was 
erected to accommodate the station agent, Mr. A. J. Kug- 
ler, and his family, as well as the postoffice and express 
and ticket office. 

Hitherto the duties of a chaplain had been divided be- 
tw^een the Director of the College and the Director of the 
Sodality; it was now deemed expedient that the work be 
confided to one person and P. Bernard Kevenhorster, who 
had been appointed Director of the Sodality became the 
first official Chaplain of the students, and holds the posi- 
tion at the present time. 

Failing health induced P. John Katzner, the director of 
the musical department, to retire from active college work 
and take medical treatment. He has not regained his 
original health and vigor, nor taken up college work since 
that time, but devotes himself to pomology and tree- culture, 
in both of which lines he has been very successful. His 
apple orchard and tree plantation are sights worth seeing. 
Some of the results of his experience have been communi- 
cated to horticultural journals. He is at present one of 
the vice-presidents of the Minnesota Horticulture Society. 
His successor in the direction of the musical department 
was P. Edmund Basel. 

P. Ulric Scheffold, for four years Principal of the Com- 
mercial Department, resigned that position to go to Wash- 
ington and help at building up St. Martin's College. He 
left St. John's just before the opening of the school term, 
and at once entered upon his duties in the West. At 
present he presides over a pastoral charge in Seattle, 
Wash. At St. John's he was succeeded in the position of 
Principal by P. Kilian Heid. 



St. John's University 127 

The Record in October 1901 chronicles the fact that Mr. 
Rupp was erecting a general store within a stone's-throw 
from the cemetery. Since Mr. Broker's discontinuance 
of the store at CoUegeville years ago, there had been no 
store in the vicinity. 

When the rugged season set in, the new gymnasium, al- 
though not finished in the interior, was opened for use. 
"The new gymnasium", says the Record in November 
1901, "presents a castle-like appearance of great symmetry 
and beauty. It is constructed of the best quality of Men- 
ominee pressed brick upon a massive granite foundation. 
The extreme length and breadth of the building are 120 
and 93 feet respectively. The total height from the ground 
to the top of the 16 ft. flagstaff is 67 ft. The main build- 
ing (63X114ft) is divided into two large halls. The one 
to the south is 30 ft wide, 60 ft. long and 22 ft. high; it will 
serve as a gymnasium and recreation room for the smaller 
boys. The larger hall is 60X80 ft. on the ground and 22 
ft. high, with an elevated track running around the entire 
hall at an elevation of 9 ft. The room will be used by the 
larger students and will afford ample space for gymnastics 
and athletics. Being entirely free from pillars and other 
obstructions, it is an ideal place for hand-ball, basket-ball, 
indoor base-ball, tennis and other games, the running 
track serving admirably as a grand stand to . accommodate 
the spectators. The two large halls of the main building 
are separated by a solid brick wall, so constructed that, in 
ease the number of students will greatly increase, it can 
be removed without impairing the strength of the build- 
ing in the least, thus providing an immense track-hall 
60X110 ft. and 22ft. from floor to ceiling. Nearest the 
(main) entrance, is the office of the physical director, 
whilst to the left a winding stairway ascends to the upper 
floor, in the circular tower. On the south side of the main 
passage are the bath and toilet-rooms. A large basement 
20X90 ft. in dimensions, under the front portion of the 



128 St. John's University 

building, will accommodate two bowling alleys. The second 
floor of the front contains a billiard room, 18X25 ft. in di- 
mensions, from which access is gained to the running 
track in the main hall." The entire building is heated 
from the central steam plant and lighted by electricity. 
Next in order was the appropriate equipment of the gym- 
nasium and the installation of a physical trainer. 

On the evening of St. Cecilia's day and of Thanksgiving 
the faculty and students were regaled by musical treats. 

During the Christmas holidays the abbey library, the 
museum, musical department and photograph gallery were 
moved from their old-quarters to the new library building. 

The latter is a three-story, fire-proof structure, 52X88ft. 
on the ground floor is the abbey library, which now con- 
tains about 21000 volumes; on the second floor is the mu- 
seum with office and storeroom. On the third floor are 
the photograph gallery and twelve music rooms, each fur- 
nished with either a piano or an organ. The space vacat- 
ed in the college by the removal of the music rooms to the 
new building was utilized for class rooms. 

Again the work of the class-room was crippled by the 
prevalence of sickness, so that not even a celebration of 
Washington's Birthday could be held. The buildings were 
under quarantine for a short time, and no case proved fatal. 

In spring the outfit for the gymnasium arrived and the 
resources for exercise and amusement increased by the 
construction of a brick hand-ball alley at the northern ex- 
tremity of the campus, near the tennis court. 

P. Bruno found time amid his varied duties to promote 
fish-culture. It was through his efforts the institution ob- 
tained exclusive fishery rights in St. John's Lake, and in 
course of the summer the State fish commission placed a 
considerable number of wall-eyed pike in the lake. At the 
same time a trout pond was constructed near the Watab 
for raising that excellent variety of fish. The work has 
grown considerably in dimensions and is now in charge of 




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St. John's Univeesity 129 

P. Bruno's brother. P. Hilary Doerfler. 

At the comniencement exercises June 20th the degree 
of B. A. was conferred on two candidates and that of M. 
A. on 40 graduates. Seven medals were awarded. The 
total enrollment for the year was 381, being the largest 
number hitherto enrolled. Of these, 46 were seminarians 
and 285 in all other courses. The great leap in numbers 
is partly due to the establishment of a Winter School in 
1901. This department was instituted for the benefit of 
young men whose circumstances did not permit them to 
attend school, except during the winter months. By way 
of an inducement, the terms were fixed for such students 
at 190. to cover tuition and board from November 4th 
to March 2Dth. 

1902-1903 

After three years of meritorious work P. Bruno laid down 
the burdens of his office and became librarian of the 
abbey. He subsequently became instrumental in organiz- 
ing the German Catholic colony in the valley of the Sas- 
katchewan, Canada; in 1905 left St. John's to assume 
editorial charge of the "St. Peters Bote," the organ of the 
colony, and since 1906 has been canonical Prior of St. 
Peter's Monastery, Muenster, Sask. His successor in the 
office of Director was P. Leonard Kapsner, who for two 
years previous had been Treasurer of the University, and 
disciplinarian. 

During vacation a campus had been graded for the Jun- 
iors north of the buildings, thus making it possible to 
separate the older from the younger students more effect- 
ually during recreation time. Part of the third floor of 
the college buildings was converted into laboratories and 
lecture rooms for the departments of physics and chemis- 
try, and the room formerly used as a chemical laboratory 
was turned over to the class in mechanical drawing. 

On October 4th occurred the death of P. Melchior Bah- 
ner. Born in St. Cloud, Minn., Dec. 9. 1870, he entered 



180 St. John's University 

St. John's in 1888, made vows as a Benedictine Aug. 30. 
1890, and was ordained April 25, 1894. Upon the advice 
of his physician, he went to the Bahama islands in 1892 
and after his ordination, assisted in the mission at Nassau. 
Early in the present year he felt that his earthly course 
was run and begged to be permitted to return to Minne- 
sota. He did not resume active work but continued stead- 
ily declining in health, until death released him from his 
sufPerings at the age of not quite thirty-two years. 

For Thanksgiving day the St. John's U. Dramatic As- 
sociation prepared a catching German comedy "Rinaldo 
Rinaldini," and at the Yule-tide entertainment they per- 
formed "Major Andre," a tragedy. On February 1st and 
on Washington's Birthday the musical organizations ap- 
peared in concerts. 

After gracing the landscape for thirty long years, the 
romantic little chapel on the island fell a prey to flames 
on April 17. 1903. It had been built by students and 
clerics in 1872 and was much admired by all who saw its 
red walls and white spire gleam though its rich setting of 
forest. 

It was a great year for athletics; the pages of the Becord 
fairly bristle with glowing reports of victories along every 
line of effort. One event was well calculated to stir up a 
more general interest in physical development, a feature in 
education that is too generally disregarded. It was the 
Field Day held May 27th, the first event of its kind in our 
history. On the programme were a 50 yard dash, 100 yard 
dash, running broad jump, shot put, discus throwing, half- 
mile relay race, not to forget the sack-race. 

On Commencement day, June 19th, the degree of Bach- 
elor of Science was conferred on one candidate and the de- 
gree of M. A. on 27 graduates of the Commercial course. 
The usual exercises were diversified by an address by Mr. 
William Markoe, '69, a zealous worker in the interests of the 
International Truth Society, Seven medals were awarded. 



St. John's University 131 

During the year 387 students were enrolled — 89 semin- 
arians and 298 in all other departments. 

1908-04 

The staff of professors was increased by the return of 
P. Alcuin Deutsch from Rome, where he had spent six 
years in study at San Anseimo, graduating with the title 
of Doctor of Philosophy this year. He was at once ap- 
pointed professor of philosophy and is active in that capa- 
city to this day. 

Although the gymnasium and outiSt were at hand for 
some time, physical training had not been organized on a 
systematic basis. In fall of this year (1908) a special in- 
structor in this line of work was secured in Mr. Peter Bo- 
quel, of Soath Bethlehem, Pa. As a first venture he was 
engaged to teach from October 1 to April 1, covering the 
period when outdoor exercises are at a minimum and when 
the continual indoor life is most apt to tell upon the physi- 
cal health of the student. The trainer, besides conducting 
the regular culture classes, voluntarily acted as coach for 
the athletic teams. 

During October Mr. J. W. Arctander spent several days 
at the institution and created two pleasant evenings for 
the students by illustrated lectures on Alaska, its history, 
resources, attractions and future. His glowing accounts 
were a revelation to those who imagined that the North 
was synonymous with ice and death. 

The annual Retreat in the Seminary was conducted by 
Rev. H. J. Untraut, of the diocese of La Crosse from Feb- 
ruary 23 to 26. 

During the year the several organizations found time to 
prepare programmes for the chief festival occasions. On 
Thanksgiving day an entertainment was given by the 
musical organizations, the only specialty introduced being 
an exhibition of Indian club swinging. On December 
15th, the 25th anniversary of the Rt. Rev. Abbot's ordin- 
ation, an entertainment complimentary to him was given 



132 St. John's University 

at which the S. J. U. Dramatic Association performed 
"Maurice, the Woodcutter". On December 22 there was 
a concert, with gymnastical and legerdemain performan- 
ces by Mr. A. Moosbrugger, of St. Cloud. On March 4. 
the Dramatic Association presented "Handy Andy", on 
the 17th a small programme was executed. The last en- 
tertainment was on Memorial Day. On the latter also the 
Field Day exercises were held. 

Although sickness was less prevalent than in preceding 
years, two cases proved fatal. The first was the case of Jos. 
Hall, of Manitowoc, Wis., who died November 20, 1903 
after a brief and apparently not very serious illness; the 
second was Frank Fuessy, of Royalton, Minn., who suc- 
cumbed to a severe siege of pneumonia on February 12, 
1904. In both instances the remains were shipped to 
their homes for interment. 

Three priests of the Order and former professors closed 
their earthly career during this schoolyear. P. Timothy 
Vaeth, born in Baltimore, Md. July 14. 1854, professed as 
a Benedictine in 1882, ordained July 26, 1885, and pastor 
successively at Luxemburg, St. Joseph, Duluth, New 
Munich and East Minneapolis, where he was stationed 
since 1894, died November 4, 1903. He was followed on 
March 11, 1904 by P. Pancratius Maehren, born in Conz- 
en, near Cologne, Germany May 24, 1846, professed 1871, 
ordained Sept. 21, 1874. He was the first professor of 
natural sciences at St. John's and later labored in pastoral 
charges at Minneapolis, Meire Grove, Eiehmond, Pierz, 
Freeport and Farming. From September 1893 to April 
1895 he was prior at the abbey. He died at Farming, his 
last station. On May 20, 1904 followed P. Joseph Vill, 
born January 8, 1835 in Germany, professed 1862, or- 
dained February 2, 1867. He labored as missionary in 
many of the missions of Stearns county and towards the 
end of his life lived in retirement as chaplain at several 
charitable institutions. 



St. John's University 138 

The continual difficulty of procuring suitable male 
hands to conduct the kitchen led to the introduction of a 
number of Sisters of the Presentation from France in May 
1904. A separate residence was built for them west of the 
library building. 

On June 5th the members of the A. L. A. held a public 
debate on the subject: Resolved that the adjudication of 
disputes between employers and employes should be made 
part of the administration of justice. 

A distinguishing feature of the commencement exercises 
on June 28, was an address by the Rev. L. J. Vaughan, of 
Altoona, Wis. On this occasion 7 medals were awarded; 
the degree of Master of Arts was conferred on one candi- 
date; that of Ph. B. on one; that of A. B. on 2; that of B. 
S. on 3; and that of M. A. on 21. Diplomas in Shorthand 
and Typewriting were conferred on 8 graduates. On the 
rolls appear the names of 810 students — 82 seminarians 
and 278 in all other departments. 

On June 29 — after the class of '04 had adjourned — the 
public celebration of the silver jubilee of the Rt. Rev. 
Abbot's ordination was celebrated; at the same time a 
great meeting of the Alumni was held. 

1904-05 

After an absence of five y^ars in Rome, where he had 
filled responsible positions in the Greek College, P. Plac- 
id us Wingerter returned to St. John's and resumed his 
labors as professor of Sacred Scripture and languages. 
During his sojourn abroad he secured many valuable 
books for the faculty's library. 

P. Hugo Tell, who received a pastoral appointment, was 
succeeded as Treasurer of the college by P. Richard Sim- 
mer. For the gymnasium the services of Mr. A. Moos- 
brugger of St. Cloud, were secured for this year. 

No changes of importance had been made in the cur- 
riculum of studies, but special efforts had been made to 
render the scientific course more efficient and attractive. 



134 St. John's University 

Pleasant and memorable days of the year were Novem- 
ber 6th, the Rev. Director's namesday; Thanksgiving Day, 
on which "The Proscribed Heir" was produced; Yule Tide 
entertainment, at which the German comical play "Der 
gescheiteste Schwabenstreich" proved the irresistible at- 
traction; Washington's Birthday; March 7th, when the 
play "Falsely Accused" was performed; the concert on 
April 4th; and finally that on June 13 in honor of the 
newly ordained disciplinarians, Fathers Pius and Paul. 

The annual Hetreat in the seminary was conducted from 
Feb. 27 to March 3 by P. William O. S. B. of St. Cloud. 

On October 27th, 1904, P. Alphonse Kuisle died at the 
abbey. Bom in the diocese of Augsburg, Bavaria, Oct. 15, 
1839, professed as a Benedictine 1869, ordained December 
22, 1872, he was pastor at St. Cloud, Richmond, Minnea- 
polis, Stillwater and of Collegeville congregation (since 
1895). Since 1899 he had also been subprior of the 

abbey. On February 27, 1905 P. Theodore Kevenhoers- 

ter died at Nassau, Bahama Islands. He was a brother of 
P. Bernard; rector of the Seminary, and born in Alten- 
Essen, Prussia, April 8, 1877. He made profession as a 
Benedictine August 28, 1897 and was ordained June 15, 
1902. Since 1897 he was a professor and disciplinarian in 
the commercial department. A few months after his or- 
dination his health failed; upon the advice of physicians 
he repaired to Colorado, but returned to Minnesota in the 
summer of 1903. In October of that year he left for the 
Bahamas, never more to return alive. He spent the rest 
of his days in missionary work at Nassau and the news of 
his death caused deep regret. His remains were escorted 
to St. John's by his brother, P. Bernard, and interred on 
March 7th. 

On March 28 and April 5 Mr. Joseph B. Himsl, '88, 
county attorney of Stearns County, lectured before the 
Commercial class on commercial papers and contracts. 



St. John's University 135 

This was the second instance of a former alumnus ascend- 
ing the lecture platform here. 

Commencement day exercises were held June 21. The 
degree of A. M. was conferred on one graduate — the late 
Rev. Nicholas Niedere of Hastings; that of Ph. B. on 2; 
that of A. B. on one; that of M. A. on 20, and Shorthand 
Certificates on one. 7 medals were awarded. The entire 
number of students enrolled was 306 — 34 seminarians 
and 272 in all other departments. 

During vacation the Rev. Director, P. Leonard Kapsner, 
in consideration of the unsatisfactory state of his health, 
requested his superiors to relieve him from duty in the 
position he had held for three years. He continued in 
active service as a professor during part of the next school- 
year, but in fall 1906 went to the Pacific slope to assist at 
St. Martin's College. He was succeeded as Director at 
St. John's by P. Albert Erkens, the present incumbent. 

P. Albert is a native of Minnesota, being born in Jordan 
October 2, 1874. He pursued his course of classical 
studies at Teutopolis, 111., entered the Benedictine Order 
at St. John's in 1896 and was ordained June 11, 1901. He 
has been sctive as a professor since 1896 and brought 
the shorthand and typewriting sections into prominence 
and efficiency. 

On August 5th, P. Simplicius Wimmerdiedat the abbey 
after a long illness. He was born in Bavaria, December 
10, 1844, professed 1869, ordained September 29, 1872. 
He was one of the founders of the St. Boniface Literary 
Association. During his long career he attended many of 
the missions in the vicinity, for a number of years was 
professor of moral theology in the seminary, and for a 
short time was stationed in New York city. 

1905-06 

During vacation one half of the basement in the north 
wing was fitted up as a bathroom with ten showerbaths 



136 ^ St. John's UNivERSiTr 

housed in marble stalls. This improvement, together with 
the new lavatories, which are in every way abreast of the 
times, contributes to the sanitation of the buildings. 

In September P. Bede Mayenberger was sent to Rome 
for a course of higher studies at San Anselmo. He is the 
fourth representative of St. John's at that institution. 

For this schoolyear Mr. Harry A. Comeau, of New London, 
Conn., was secured as instructor in physical culture. He 
was well qualified for his line of work, having served his 
apprenticeship under skilled masters in the East. To the 
usual exercises he added, for such students as chose^ to 
avail themselves of the opportunity, lessons in fencing, 
boxing, wrestling, and athletics. He also had a set of 
physical examination instruments installed to examine and 
record the physical progress of his pupils. 

Besides the usual monthly notes in deportment and ap- 
plication, monthly examinations and class notes were in- 
troduced. These notes were handed to the Rev. Director 
who supplied copies of them to parents or guardians, de- 
sirous of being informed of the pupil's progress. It is a 
timely provision and makes for thoroughness, at the same 
time offering a good opportunity for co-operation between 
the faculty and parents. 

In the evening of September 21st, Gen. C. C. Andrews, 
of St. Paul, Chief Fire Warden of the State of Minnesota 
and a vigorous champion of the cause of forestry, deliver- 
ed an illustrated lecture on American and foreign forests 
and forestry, and made an earnest plea for the preservation 
of what is still left of woods. 

On October 14 a reception was held for the Rt. Rev. 
Albert Pascal, vicar apostolic of Saskatchewan, who paid 
his first visit to the abbey, accompanied by the Prior of 
St. Peter's, Canada, Rt. Rev. Alfred, O. S. B. Speeches 
and music filled the evening; the good bishop spoke very 
entertainingly of conditions in the North and of his labors 
in the Arctic circle. 



St. John's Univeesity 137 

Four months later another prelate was accorded an en- 
thusiastic reception. Bis bop Augustine Schinner of the 
newly erected diocese of Superior was introduced by Bishop 
Trobec, of St. Cloud. In the forenoon of February 16th an 
entertainment was improvised for the distinguished visitor, 
at which he addressed the students in a vigorous and timely 
speech. 

The lecture course was supplied by Fathers Alcuin and 
Anselm; the former delivered several illustrated lectures 
on Italy, the latter on astronomy. For these lectures an 
improved instrument, the reflectoscope, was purchased. 
It may be used for the purpose of projecting lantern slides 
in the ordinary way, but is especially valuable for reflect- 
ing colored prints and opaque objects. 

In the life of the student, joys and sorrows alternate as 
well as they do in the rest of the world. The saddest 
feature of this year was the death of Eugene Whalen 
on January 18, 1906, after a short illness of tubercular 
meningitis. His sorrowing parents were present at his 
bedside when he surrendered his soul into the hands of 
his Creator. 

The musical department suffered a loss — we hope, only 
temporarily — by the departure of P. Edmund Basel from 
Asheville, N. C. early in March. He was aMcted with 
some throat trouble, found little or no relief in special 
treatment, and was advised to seek a milder climate. Last 
summer he left Asheville for Nassau, Bahama Islands, 
where he is at present. 

The annual Retreat for the Seminarians was conducted 
from March 28 to 31 by the Rt. Rev. Abbot. 

The first all-around Athletic Meet and Gymnastic En- 
tertainment, the first of its kind given here, was held in 
the gymnasium in the afternoon of November 16, 1905. All 
the participants were Junior students. A similar event, in 
which all the advanced classes took part, formed part of 
the delights of Thanksgiving day. 



188 St. John's University 

The literary and musical societies entertained on Thanks- 
giving, by performing "The Malediction", a drama in 3 
acts; on December 21, there was a concert at which Prof. 
Magnus G. Schutz, '85 who had just left the far West 
to make his abode in the East, volunteered to sing some 
of his best songs; on Washington's Birthday the farce 
"Freedom of the Press" was presented; on March 7, the 
members of the Seminary gave a polyglot and musical en- 
tertainment; speeches and declamations were delivered in 
nine languages, six of which are taught at the institution; 
on St. Boniface day, June 5, the dramatic section of the 
St. Boniface L. A. presented "Oblivio". 

On May 17, the venerable Father Cornelius Wittmann 
celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination. Although 
his sight was impaired, he officiated at the solemn High 
Mass, at which Bishop Trobec, of St. Cloud, delivered an 
elaborate discourse on the labors of the Benedictines iti 
Minnesota and of the share P. Cornelius had in the work- 
in the evening the dramatic association presented the 
historical drama "Alexander III." 

Much interest centered in the exercises of Field Day, 
May 30. It was an ideal day in every respect and many 
friends of outdoor sport from neighboring places had come 
to witness the events. The exercises were conducted on 
the college campus. 12 medals, gifts of alumni and 
friends of the institution, were awarded the winners in the 
several contests. 

Commencement exercises were held on June 21. An 
address to the graduates was delivered by Mr. Wm. F. 
Markoe, '70, on "The Absolute Necessity of Christian Ed- 
ucation for the Preservation of the Nation", a discourse 
as striking and convincing as it was interesting. 8 medals 
were awarded. The degree of A. B. was conferred on two 
candidates; that of M. A. on 30 and Amanuensis Certifi- 
cates in Shorthand on three. Total enrollment: 314 — of 



St. John's Univeesity 139 

which number 36 were seminarians and 278 in all other 
departments. 

1906-07 

At last the jubilee year has dawned: the fiftieth school- 
year opened and as these lines go to print is still in 
progress. By way of preparation for a new era, new floors 
were laid thoroughout the greater part of the college build- 
ings: the dining room received a ceiling of pressed steel 
and new electroliers. 

P. Kilian Held assumed direction of the orchestra, and 
P. Isidor Siegler took charge of the violin class, in - view 
of the fact that P. Edmund Basel was still abroad under 
medical treatment. 

An important change was made in the Commercial 
course. It was observed that students considered them- 
selves fully equipped for commercial life when they had 
learned a system of bookkeeping. They had gone forth 
but soon discovered that they lacked essentials and that 
without an ordinary fundamental education, the know- 
ledge of bookkeeping was a pure delusion and a snare. 
Hence the course was divided into two grades, the first of 
which, as the catalogue reads, "comprises those studies 
that compose the foundation for a profitable pursuit of 
the technical subjects". For advancement to the second 
grade a written examination is required. This may oblige 
the student to remain longer at school than under the 
older system, but it ensures a better start and gives less 
occasion for dissatisfaction and regret. 

On October 23, Mr. Warren Upham, secretary of the 
Minnesota State Historical Society, delivered a scholarly 
lecture on "The First White Men in Minnesota." 

According to custom the Rev. Director's namesday, 
November 15, was celebrated as a holiday. In the evening 
an entertainment was furnished by the college organiza- 
tions. A magnificent leather armchair was presented the 
Rev. Director as a remembrance of that pleasant occasion. 



140 St. John's University 

A few days later P. Eichard Simmer, cliief disciplin- 
arian of the Junior hall and Treasurer of the institution, 
left for a milder climate upon advice of physicians. He 
spent a part of the winter in Alabama, but intends to re- 
turn before the end of the present term. The duties of 
Treasurer were assumed by P. Pius Meinz. 

Besides the lecture already mentioned there were three 
series during the winter: five by P. Alexius Hoffmann on 
North America, South America and the Insular Depend- 
encies of the United States: two by P. Anselm on Glacial 
Lake Agassiz, and two by P. Bernard Kevenhoerster on 
Yellowstone Park. Most of the slides used for illustrat- 
ing these lecturers were made by the home photographic 
artist, P. Fridolin Tembreull. 

For Thanksgiving day "The Merchant of Venice", 
adapted, was prepared, and rendered with exceptional suc- 
cess. It was followed up at the Yuletide entertainment 
by a performance of "The Last of the Narragansetts". 

During the Christmas holidays, the students whose cir- 
cumstances did not permit them to enjoy the sweets of 
vacation under their paternal roof-tree improvised an en- 
tertainment under the auspices of the "Hard Luck Club". 

This year, too, the angel of death claimed a victim. Leo 
J. Heck left college in good health to spend the Christmas 
holidays at his home in St. Paul. Towards the end of the 
holidays he was prostrated with typhoid fever and died 
January 20. His class-mates conveyed their condolence 
to his bereaved parents in the shape of a beautiful floral 
tribute and a handsomely executed set of resolutions. 

Father John Katzner celebrated the silver jubilee of his 
ordination on February 5, and although "there was none 
of the glamour and external signs of joy which usually 
surround such an occasion", he received numerous fel- 
icitations from those of his friends who had known him in 
the days of his energetic activity as a professor of music. 



St. John's University 141 

An unusually severe winter with much snow defeated 
all efforts at outdoor sport beyond a stroll for a whiff of 
fresh air; still indoor amusements and exercises were the 
order of the day without intermission. A specimen of the 
work accomplished in the gymnasium was given on the 
evening of February 12 at a Grymnastic Entertainment in 
the assembly hall. The programme was executed by the 
body of student instructors under direction of Mr. H. A. 
Comeau. 

On the evening of Washington's birthday an English 
sketch "The Hypochondriac" and a German farce "Der 
Dumrae August" furnished an hour of pleasure. As at all 
functions of this kind, the orchestra filled the intervals 
with the best music at its disposal. On St. Benedict's day 
the dramatic association presented Bulwer-Lytton's "Car- 
dinal Richelieu," a drama in five acts. 

The annalist has thus reached the present. Three 
months of the schoolyear remain, but it will scarcely be 
difficult to forecast their history. The attendance during 
the year was 303 — of these 32 seminarians and 271 in all 
other departments. Minnesota furnishes the bulk of 
students — 219; next follows Wisconsin with 26, North 
Dakota, 21: Iowa, 14; South Dakota, 10; New York, Mon- 
tana and Canada, each 3; Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana 
and the Bahama Islands, each, 1. Although the total en- 
rollment falls slightly short of last year, the average at- 
tendance has probably the best of any year. 



CHAPTER VI. 

College Organizations. 

This sketch would be incomplete without some mention 
of the various organizations which, if not parts of the ed- 
ucational curriculum, have in no small measure contri- 
buted to elevate the student body by cherishing the love 
of religion, by extending the knowledge obtained in the 
classroom, by physical exercises calculated to preserve that 
vigor of body which is so important during the years of 
study. Many a student fondly remembers the hours de- 
voted to this kind of work and will no doubt be proud to 
learn that most of the organizations have continued to live 
and flourish down to the present hour. Many an organ- 
ization sprouted up and lived for a short spell — it filled 
the need of the hour and passed away when its task was 
done or taken over by a kindred society. Membership on 
these organizations has always been voluntary; at the head 
of each is a chief officer appointed by the President of the 
institution, and each is governed by a code of laws formed 
by the organizations themselves. 

I. Religious. 

1. The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary^ the old- 
est organization of a religious character in the college, was 
organized on the feast of St. Aloysius, June 21. 1870. 
"For some time past," writes a correspondent of Der 

143 



St. John's University 143 

Wanderer of that montli "a number of students have been 
in the habit of meeting in the chapel during recreation 
time to recite the Rosary. Finally, they took steps to 
found a society: P. Alexius Edelbrock was elected direct- 
or and Fr. Simplicius Wimmer prefect. It was resolved 
to petition for aggregation to the principal Sodality which 
has its seat in Rome, where it was organized in 1563. The 
General of the Society of Jesus is empowered to aggre- 
gate other societies. P. Alexius sent a petition to Rev. P. 
Tschieder, S. J., of St. Louis, Mo., through whose kind 
offices the necessary papers were secured from Rome. On 
the foundation day all the members — at present 23 — re- 
ceived the Sacraments, and during Mass which was said 
for them by the Rev. Director of the Sodality, they pro- 
nounced the formula of consecration by which they devo- 
ted themselves in a special manner to the service of Our 
Lady." 

The following were the original officers: Director, P. 
Alexius Edelbrock; prefect, Joseph Leuthard; secretary, 
Nicholas Steil; censors, John Schulte and J. Eha. P. Alex- 
ius filled the office of director till 1877 ; his successors were 
P. Francis Mershman, 1877-83; P. Alfred Mayer, 1883-87 
P. Alexius Hoffmann, 1887-90; P.Francis Mershman, 1890- 
95; P. Michael Ott, 1895-1901. The present director is P. 
Bernard Kevenhoerster, since 1901. 

Every day the members perform some devotional ser- 
vice in common, Originally it was customary to recite 
the Rosary publicly on Sundays: later the recitation of 
the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception on Satur- 
days was introduced, and this practice continues to the 
present time. The six Aloysian Sundays are observed by 
the majority of the members every year. Both the living 
and the dead share in the spiritual benefits of the Sodal- 
ity. Every day prayers are said for them in the college 
chapel and, in case the Director is informed of the death 
of a member, a Requiem is sung for the repose of his soul. 



144 St. John's University 

As a successful means of fostering piety and of preserv- 
ing young students from the pernicious influence of bad 
literature the Sodality organized a circulating library of 
several hundred volumes, books by reliable Catholic auth- 
ors. In consideration of a moderate annual fee to cover 
necessary expenses and add to the stock of books on hand, 
members were permitted to use the library. Subsequently 
it was merged with the libraries of the two literary so- 
ciety (St. Boniface and St. Thomas) to form what is now 
the Students' Library. At present it contains about 2700 
volumes which are accessible in the students' reading room. 

A handsomely engraved certificate issued on the day of 
admission to the Sodality, reminds the members of the 
devout promise they made at college. Each member also 
receives a blue silk badge which is worn at all public func- 
tions of the Sodality. 

2. Second in order of time is the St. Benedicfs Altar 
Boys Association, which, as its name indicates, has for 
its worthy object the efiicient training of boys to serve 
with propriety in the sanctuary. In the small chapel 
which was frequented by the students before 1882 there 
was no room for magnificent ritual. In 1882, Fr. 
Chrysostom Schreiner, then offiicial master of ceremonies 
of the abbey, organized the above named association with 
a membership of 24, the first student officials being Jos. 
Wolf, assistant, and Fred. W. Faber, secretary. Fr. Chry- 
sostom 's successor in office were Frs. Meinrad Retten- 
maier, Gerard Spielman, Corbinian Hermanutz, Demetrius 
Juenemann, Anselm Bartholmy, Gabriel Roerig, Fidelis 
Lucking and Matthew Britt. The latter, who presided 
from 1896-1900, had the society duly affiliated to the St. 
John Berchmans Sanctuary Society in January 1897, and 
the local organization exists by that name to this day. Fr. 
Matthew also wrote, for the benefit of the boys in his 
charge a "Ceremonial for Altar Boys" printed by the 
Record in 1899, which has since gained popularity and 




REV. ALEXIUS HOFFMANN, O. S. B. 
REV. LEONARD KAPSNER, O. S. B. 



REV. BRUNO DOERFLER, O. S. B. 
REV. ALBERT ERKENS, O. S. B. 



St. John's University 145 

has appeared in a second edition. His successors in office 
were Frs. Magnus Hermanutz, P. Alcuin Deutsch, P. Paul 
Neussendorfer. The present director is Fr. Hildebrand 
Eickhoff. The society has a small library of works refer- 
ring to liturgical matters. 

3. A local center of the League of the Sacred Heart, 
Apostleship of Prayer, was organized in October 1896, and 
duly affiliated. It began with a very encouraging member- 
ship and has always been generously patronized. The di- 
rection is retained by the Rt. Rev. President; the secre- 
taries in immediate charge of the work of the League 
since its inception having been P. Alexius Hoffmann; P. 
Bruno Doerfler and — since 1902 — P. Bernard Keven- 
hoerster. 

II. LiTEEARY. 

1. The Grace Literary Association was organized 
in the year 1869 by the senior students for the purpose of 
acquiring mastery of the English language, especially in 
oratory and debate. It took its name in honor of the late 
Bishop Thomas L. Grace of St. Paul, one of the patrons 
of the institution. Among its charter members and chief 
promoters were Messrs, Jos. B. Cotter and J. McGlone. 
In 1875 the name was changed for that of the 

St. Thomas Literary Association-, under this name it 
continued to exist till 1883, then slumbered for two years, 
was revived in 1885 and quietly passed out of existence in 
1887, leaving the field to the Alexian L. A. (see below. ) 
Its presidents from the beginning were J. B. Cotter, M. 
T. Ryan, J. W. Nealis, P. Francis Mershman, 1871-78, P. 
Edward Ginther, P. Alfred Mayer and P. Chrysostom 
Schreiner. The members supported a library which was 
merged with that of the Sodality in 1883. 

2. The St. Boniface Literary Association was organ- 
ized January 13. 1870 by the German students for the cul- 
tivation of the German language and literature. Its motto 



146 St. John^s UNivEESiTr 

Virtuti et Musis, was adopted upon the motion of Fr. Ber- 
nard Locnikar, one of the first and most active members. 
The first officers were; president, Fr. Boniface Moll; vice- 
pres., Fr. Simplicius Wimmer; secretary, Bernard Buenk- 
ers; censors (critics), Fr. Bernard Locnikar and Joseph 
Leuthard. The original membership was 21. At the 
time of its organization the society adopted a constitution 
which was changed in 1892. In March 1870 a library of 
choice German books was opened, and continued to be 
operated by the society until 1883 when it was united with 
the Sodality library. From 1870-1878 the members issued 
a manuscript monthly which bore the title of "Monats- 
schrift des St. Bonifacius Literar Vereins". The publica- 
tion appeared every month during the scholastic year and 
always contained excellent articles. As only one copy was 
issued and passed from hand to hand, it suffered slightly. 
The file is carefully preserved in the abbey library as one 
the monuments of earnest endeavor in the first quarter of 
of the history of the institution. On March 7. 1895 the 
society celebrated the silver jubilee of its foundation. It 
has had the following presidents: Fr. Boniface Moll, P. 
Bernard Locnikar, P. Augustine Brockmeier, P. Simplici- 
us Wimmer, P. Ludger Ehrens, P. Chrysostom Schreiner, 
P. Stephen Koefler, P. Gerard Spielmann, P. Placidus 
Wingerter, P. Anselm Ortmann, P. Athanasius Meyer, and 
P. Alcuin Deutsch. 

3. The St. Aloysius Literary Society was organized in 
1877 by the students of the Junior hall for practice in decla- 
mation and debate. Like many other youthful beings it 
wilted and died after one brief year of life. 

4. The Alexian Association named in honor of the 
Rt. Rev. President of the institution, was organized by 
the professor of rhetoric, P. Xavier White in 1879, for 
the special benefit of the students attending the advanced 
English classes. Apart from several minor differences, 
this society covered the same ground as the St. Thomas 



St. John's Univeesity 147 

L. A. and the membership of both societies was practically 
the same. It flourished to the end of 1885 with its Rev. 
founder as its president. After two years of inactivity it 
was resuscitated as the Alexian Literary Association, 
and to its mast was pinned the venerable motto of the 
defunct St. Thomas L. A. ''Nunquam retrorsumy P. 
Chrysostom Schreiner was its president till 1891, his suc- 
cessors were P. Alexius Hoffmann, P. Charles Cannon 
P* Michael Ott, and P. Bernard Kevenhoerster. 

In 1888 the publication of the St. John's University 
Record was begun under the auspices of its members. — The 
association also had a dramatic section since 1886. 

5. The Conference of St. Francis was organized in 1879 
among the seminarians; its members assembled weekly to 
discuss subjects pertaining to philosophy, ecclesiastical 
history, dogmatic and moral theology, and liturgy. Its 
president was the professor of theology, P. Francis Mersh- 
man. No mention is made of the Conference in cata- 
logues after 1879. 

6. Another literary society, that styled itself the Phil- 
opolemic, was organized in the seminary in 1888, but did 
not succeed in striking roots deep enough to secure per- 
manence. In 1894 the Coyicordia association came into 
existence in the seminary, its general features being the 
same as those of the earlier organization. The members 
published a monthly which was multiplied by hectographic 
process. No mention is made of the Concordia in the 
catalogue of 1897 nor thereafter. 

7. The Thespian Club was organized November 1891 
and lived about five years. It was replaced in 1901 by St. 
John's U. Dramatic Association. 

8. Two reading circles — the St. Charles and the Irving 
— flourished for some time during the final years of last 
century. 

9. The newest arrival in the literary field is the St. 
Thomas Aquinas Literary Association organized in the 



148 St. John's University 

Seminary in 1904 by P. Bernard Kevenhoerster, who has 
been its president since that time. In the same year the 
St. John's Seminary Reading Circle was formed. 

10. In fall 1906 the Commercial Beading Club was or- 
ganized; it supports a reading, room with about 40 papers 
and magazines and meets regularly for debates. Its mod- 
erator is P. Kilian Heid. 

III. Musical. 

To what extent music was taught at old St. John's is 
rather difficult to determine at present: at all events a 
piano was purchased in 1862 and P. Wolfgang Northman, 
a skilful musician, gave music Jessons. The only mus- 
ical organization which can be traced down to 1868 is the 
brass band, or more properly the German Silver band, as 
the instruments were made of that metal. Under the di- 
rection of P. Wolfgang Northman the band, small as it 
was, enjoyed much popularity. He was succeeded by his 
brother, the late P. Ulric, who was also an accomplished 
musician and directed the Band till 1888, when P. John 
Katzner became leader. In 1877 its membership was 14. 
In 1882 a complete set of new brass instruments was pur- 
chased, gradually reed instruments were introduced. The 
largest membership late in the last century was 28. With 
the growth of the orchestra, the band by degrees was 
moved to second place and since 1900 has ceased to exist 
as a permanent organization. 

The forerunners of the Orchestra were the Haydri 
String Quartette in 1877 and a quintette in 1885. Under 
the leadership of the late P. Norbert Hofbauer an orches- 
tra of twelve pieces was organized for the Alumni reunion 
held in June 1886 and this organization survives to the 
present day, with a slight interruption in 1894. When P. 
Edmund succeeded P. Norbert as director in 1900,the mem- 
bership was 20, a number which it still maintains. It has 



St. John's University 149 

a fairly large repertory, as it is called upon to assist at al- 
most all public entertainments throughout the scholastic 
year. 

From time to time other small instrumental organiza- 
tions were formed which, however, lived too short a time 
to merit a detailed account. 

No mention of singing societies is made in the catalog- 
ues before 1892, when a Liederkranz existed. Previous 
to that no fixed organization existed — for secular music. 
Glee clubs and quartettes were repeatedly formed, but none 
lived very long. Whenever songs were required for pub- 
lic occasions, the church choirs took the matter in hand. 
Since 1900 there have been several successful quartettes 
both in the collegiate and seminary departments under 
direction of P. Louis Traufler and Richard Simmer. 

In the early days church music was much of the same 
character as was found in the churches of the country and 
the compositions of Lambilotte, Schmidt and Werner were 
in much demand. When the Cecilian reform reached the 
West in the early '70' s it secured some patrons at St. 
John's. The choir composed of clerics and seminarians 
sang Cecilian music exclusively. Still the student choir ad- 
hered to the old school and it was only in the '90s that both 
Cecilian music and Gregorian chant were adopted as the 
correct forms of ecclesiastical chant, chiefly through the 
efforts of P. Stanislaus Preiser and the late P. Norbert 
Hofbauer. Since 1890 the students' choir has been direct- 
ed successively by P. Stanislaus, P. Edmund Basel, P. 
Louis Traufler and P. Richard Simmer. The members 
are instructed in modern and choral notation and have^. 
besides, two rehearsals every week. The organists are P. 
Innocent Gertken and Fr. Norbert Gertken. 

IV. Athletic. 

One of the earliest forms of sport indulged in here was 
boating and fishing. Very naturally, for the country round 



150 St. John's University 

was covered with forests or stumps and in default of a cam- 
pus the lake was resorted to. It would be a mistake to sup- 
pose that the alumni of that day yearned for anything 
more; national games were scarcely known. Boat clubs 
were formed by the students ; they purchased a serviceable 
row-boat and kept it in repair from year to year until it 
fell to pieces. In the catalogues may be found the names 
of many of the old boats, the Germania, Little Fraud, 
Gem, Argo, Hiawatha etc. In 1886 the institution began 
to build the boats and nominal clubs were formed. After 
1895 the clubs, too, disappeared and to this day no organ- 
ization exists, a trifling fee being required of students who 
wish to use the boats on recreation days. 

There is evidence that base ball was played as early as 
1868. Mention of a ball team is made for the first time in 
the catalogue of 1874; P. Leo Winter was its president. 

These clubs were re-organized every year and generally 
took a new name such as Invincibles, Athletics, Crusaders, 
Manhattans. Later on the inappropriateness of many of 
these names apparently struck the teams and they con- 
tented themselves with the technical designation of 
"nines." 

Football was played after a free-for-all fashion, and 
generally on the ice, since the early '70's, and only since 
the beginning of the present century have the approv- 
ed forms been cultivated by the Athletic Association. 
Lawn tennis and handball also have been in vogue since 
1890. Bowling, too, has been a favorite sport. At present 
there is a double alley in the basement of the gymnasium, 
and a handball alley and tennis court near the campus. 

Sports for the last seven years have been carried on 
under the auspices of the Athletic Association, which was 
founded 1900. Following is a record of the principal 
games played since the beginning of the present century, 
with scores: 



St. John's University 



151 











1899-1900 




Baseball: 


S. 


J. 


u. 


12 


St. Cloud High School 


11 






(< 




4 


(( 


14 










1900-1901 




Football : 


S. 


J. 


u. 


lost 2 games to the St. Cloud H. S. 


Baseball: 




a 




lost 


one to St. Cloud High, 


9-4 






a 




won one from " 
1901-1902 


16-8 


Football : 


S, 


J. 


u. 


won 


the collegiate championship of 










Minnesota. 










Representative games: 






s. 


J. 


U. 


11 


St. Cloud High 


6 






u 




17 


" Normal 


6 






<( 




11 


High 









(( 




15 


St. Thomas College 


6 


Baseball : 




n 




14 


St. Cloud High 


1 






it 




5 


" professionals 


6 










1902-1903 




Football: 


s 


.J. 


U. 





St. Cloud Normal 


17 


Basketball: 


(( 




17 


Sauk Centre 


25 






a 




15 


St. Cloud Normal 


16 


Baseball: 




n 




7 


St. Cloud High 


5 






ii 




3 


Sauk Centre 


1 










1903-1904 




Football : 


s, 


.J. 


u. 


5 


St. Cloud Normal 









(< 







High 


12 






n 




5 


" Normal 


17 


Basketbali 


J : 


<( 




19 


(( u 


11 






(( 




65 


Melrose 


13 






(( 




68 


Sauk Centre 


15 






it 




21 


Normals 


11 


Baseball: 




u 




11 


St. Cloud High 


5 






a 




9 


(( (( 


1 






<( 




16 


Little Falls 


1 



152 St. John's University 









1904-1905 




Football: 


(( 




46 


St. Cloud High 







(. 




18 


" Normal 







u 







t( (( 


26 


Basketball: 


(( 




43 


N. D. Agr. College 


29 




(( 




42 


Normals 


5 




(( 




19 


(( 


17 


Baseball: 


n 




6 


St. Cloud Bus. College 







a 




7 


Elk River 


6 




(( 




24 


St. Joe 


4 


1 






1905-1606 




Football: S 


.J. 


u. 


6 


St. Cloud Normal 


5 


Basketball: 


(( 




24 


N. D. Agr. College 


14 




(( 




33 


Fargo Athletic 


43 




u 




22 


N. D. Agr. College 


29 




(( 




52 


Mechanic Arts 


20 








1906-1907 




Football: S, 


J. 


u. 


6 


Blaine H. S., Superior 


17 



64 Mechanic Arts St. Paul 6 

Basketball: won State intercollegiate championship. 

S. J. U. 16 St. Thomas CoUege 22 

'• 61 Amateur Athletic, St. Paul 9 

40 St. Thomas College 21 

" 59 U. of Minn. Freshmen 11 

In the inter-hall basket ball league the Elites won the 
silver cup from the Royalists by a score of 23-18. The 
cup was presented at the entertainment on the evening of 
March 21. 

This record closes with Easter 1907. 

V. Alumni Association. 

When the silver jubilee of the establishment of S^. 
John's was celebrated in connection with the consecration 
of the new church on October 24, 1882, the alumni present 



St. John's University 153 

met on the day following the solemnities to organize an 
association for the perpetuation "of the bond of friend- 
ship formed in college days, to advance the welfare, spirit- 
ual and temporal, of its members and to further the inter- 
ests of Alma Mater." 

At the organizing meeting, the late P. Xavier White in 
the chair, the following officers were elected: 

Honorary Pres. — Rt. Rev. Alexius Edelbrock, O. S. B. 

President — Rev. Jos. B. Cotter. 

Spiritual Director: — Rev. Xavier White O. S. B. 

Recording Secretary: — Jos. M. Langan. 

Corresponding Secretary: — Rev. E. J. Lawler. 

Treasurer: — Alphonse Demeules. 

A committee was appointed to frame a constitution and 
by-laws, with instructions to report at 

The first regular meeting, June 26. 1888. The constitu- 
tion and by-laws were adopted and ordered printed. 

The second regular meeting was held June 22, 1886 in 
the present assembly hall, then still unfinished. The most 
delightful features of the gathering were the banquet and 
speeches. 

The third meeting was held August 28, 1890 on the day 
following the installation of the late Abbot Bernard Locnik- 
ar. On this occasion Mr. M. Nugent, '81, was elected Pres- 
ident. 

Close upon the heels of this meeting followed the fourth, 
on July 21 and 22, 1891. To ensure a better attendance, 
local branches of the association had been organized dur- 
ing spring at St. Cloud, St. Paul and Minneapolis. Each 
branch sent a strong delegation. At the meeting Mr. L. 
J. Demeules, '70, was elected President, and Rev. A. 
Christie, Spiritual Director. Scarcely less enthusiastic 
was the gathering held July 12 and 13, 1892, at which also 
a new local branch, that of Duluth-West Superior was 
represented. Mr. L. J. Demeules was re-elected President 
of the Association. 



154 St. John's University 

On July 10, 1895, the day previous to the installation of 
Abbot Peter Engel the sixth re-union was held, at which 
Mr. G. Mitsch, Jr. of St. Paul was chosen President. 

Five years elapsed before another meeting was held. 
The seventh reunion took place July 18 and 19, 1900, and 
in numbers outstripped any of the previous gatherings. 

The eighth re-union took place on June 29, 1904; it 
coincided with the silver jubilee of Rt. Rev. Abbot Peter 
Engel's ordination. Again a new branch, that of Western 
Stearns County, was represented for the first time. On 
this occasion most of the exercises were conducted in the 
new gymnasium and the alumni had an opportunity to 
mark the progress of the institution since the primitive 
days and conditions of 1867. The officers elected in 1904 
and holding office at the present time are: 

President: — Charles F. Ladner, St. Cloud. 

Vice Presidents (and Presidents of the respective local 
branches:) Wm. Hoy, Minneapolis; John Holder, Duluth; 
Rev. Leo Winter, Western Stearns Co.; John Venne, St. 
Paid; John A. Ahmann, St. Cloud. 

Recording Secretary: — F. A. Gross, Minneapolis. 

Treasurer: — Wm. Bohmer, Melrose. 

Spiritual Director: — Rev. George Arctander. 

It is expected that a large number of alumni will par- 
ticipate in the jubilee exercises toward the end of June of 
the present year, 1907, to mark the passing of the fiftieth 
milestone. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Conclusion. 



After fifty years of patient work and struggle, the insti- 
tution looks complacently over the work accomplished and 
hopefully into the future. The rewards of toil are visible 
on every hand. From a tiny frame building on the banks 
of the Mississippi it has grown into a vast edifice secoDd 
to few, if any, in the State of Minnesota. However, it is 
not this material growth that must be considered a gauge 
of the success of the institution. For fifty years it has en- 
deavored to meet the wants of the youth of this new region 
by affording them an opportunity of acquiring an educa- 
tion for secular pursuits as well as for the ministry. True 
to the intentions of its founders and the character of the 
men in whose hands its destinies rested, it has aimed to be 
a Catholic school in spirit and deed. 

Today the work presided over by the faculty is very 
extensive and 34 professors and disciplinarians devote 
themselves to the task. A Preparatory course fits students 
for the Classical and Commercial course. A Classical 
Course of six years comprising the study of Religion, 
Latin, Greek, English, German, History, Geography both 
physical and political, Mathematics, and elective branches 
such as Physiology, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy, 
Botany, Zoology and French, prepares the student for any 
of the learned professions. The Scientific course with the 
facilities for the study of Physics, Electricity, Biology and 
Astronomy, Drawing and kindred branches bears witness 

155 



156 St. John's Univeksity 

to the fact that an effort is made to furnish advantageous 
opportunities for keeping in touch with the progress of 
the world in scientific matters. For almost thirty years a 
Commercial course has been connected with the college- 
Not least in importance is the Theological Seminary which 
if small in numbers, is efficient in work and has given the 
sacred ministry many members. The total attendance in 
all the courses in 1907, as has been stated above, was 
slightly in excess of 300. It is not expected that this 
figure will grow notably in the near future owing to the 
increasing number of educational institutions rising on all 
sides, still it is ah encouraging number under the circum- 
stances. 

Our Alumni? For a half -century from year to year, 
some alumni went forth to take up arms in the wider field 
of action; what has become of them? The snows and in- 
firmities of advancing years are upon some of them now» 
and many of them have laid down the arms of toil and rest 
in memory only. It will be impossible in the space of a 
few pages to recall all those of whose career the institution 
has had occasion to take notice; hence this sketch will 
confine itself to a limited range. To begin with the Sem- 
inary. From 1867 to 1896 the institution prepared for the 
sacred ministry 204 candidates, 82 of these being Bene- 
dictines and 122 members of the secular clergy.* At 
present the whole number is 335 of whom 132 are Benedict- 
ines and 203 secular clergymen or members of other re- 
ligious orders. This number may appear small for fifty 
years, but St. John's has been only a private Seminary. 
Of its graduates, only one has been decorated with epis- 
copal honors, the Eight Rev. Joseph B. Cotter, of Winona, 
Minn. The priests who have gone forth from the Sem- 
inary chiefly labor in the West, in the States of Minneso- 
ta, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota and Nebras- 
ka. One, Rt. Rev. Edward Nagl, vicar general of the 

*Ainerican Ecclestical Review, XVII. p. 289. 



St. John's University 157 

diocese of St. Cloud, was created a domestic prelate with 
the title and insignia of a monsignor by Pope Leo XIII in 
1901, and V. Rev. Martin Noesen, '96, is the present vicar 
general of the diocese of Lead, S. D. Rev. F. X. Stemper, 
former vicar general of the apostolic vicariate of Northern 
Minnesota, was also a graduate of the Seminary. 

The graduates in the other courses may be found in al- 
most any of the numerous walks of life, — some of them 
practise law, others medicine; some are prosperous busi- 
ness men, others pursue humbler but equally useful avoca- 
tions. Some have entered other schools and graduated in 
higher courses. Thus three members of the hierarchy of 
the United States, the Most Rev. Alexander Christie, 
archbishop of Oregon City, Rt. Rev. John Shanley, bishop 
of Fargo and Rt. Rev. James J, Keane, bishop of Chey- 
enne, studied their classics at St. John's and received 
their theological education elsewhere. In the State legis- 
lature of 1907 were three alumni of St. John's — Senators 
J. C. Hardy, J. E. C. Robinson and J. J. Ahmann. 

Under God, the success of this work was undoubtedly 
due in great part to the well directed effort of the faculty, 
and it is with pride we recall the memory of those kind 
and earnest professors who have ceased from toil and gone 
to their reward. Nor must the patrons and benefactors 
of the institution be forgotten. First of all, in order of 
time, were the first two bishops of St. Paul, Rt. Revs. Jos. 
Cretin and Thomas Grace, and subsequently the bishops 
of St. Cloud, Otto Zardetti, Martin Marty O. S. B. and 
James Trobec, each of whom gave the institution sub- 
stantial proof of his interest. Moreover, a great debt of 
gratitude is due to the Rev. clergy of this and neighbor- 
ing states and to the generous donors of medals since 1880. 
Among these donors have been Bishops Seidenbusch, Zar- 
detti, Marty, Trobec and Shanley, Mgrs. J. Bauer and E. 
Nagl, St. Cloud, Revs. C. V. Gamache, E. J. Lawlor, 
F. Goebel, P. Cary, M. Noesen, G. Gaskell,F. X. Stemper, 



158 St. John's University 

D. Lynch; Messrs. L. W. Collins, D. B. Searle, H. 0. 
Waite, J. W. Arctander, J. J. Hill, Th. Bruenner, F. E. 
Searle, J. Caulfield, S. Wimmer, M. Manrin, J. Hoeschen 
and the Alumni Association. 

The Golden Jubilee will gather to the bosom of Alma 
Mater representatives of every schoolyear, from every part 
of the Union and the event will be one memorable forever 
in the annals of the institution. Then memory will carry 
them back to the scenes and places hallowed by the light 
of youth, they will tell of the little trials and struggles en- 
countered in their college days and go forth strengthened 
anew to take upon themselves the responsibilities of life 
and fulfill the purpose for which they were fitted by their 
education. God speed their efforts and perpetuate their 
success ! 



